Animal I Have Become
by WatchMeBurn-HearMeCry
Summary: Gabi McCoy had finally gotten to a good place in her life, she had released her first solo CD and her careering was taking off, and she and Kendall were finally together, but things dont stay great forever, do they? sequal to A Beautiful Mess!
1. Chapter 1

Animal I've Been Come

Chapter 1

Gabi McCoy crosses her arms across her chest as she tilts her head to the right and just glares across the conference room table at Gustavo. To show how annoyed she is at him, she snaps the gum she is chewing.

Gustavo just glares back at the five foot two, rocker, black and red haired girl sitting across from him who used to be a beautiful blonde girl.

"Ok, I'm here, what do you want?" Gabi asks him annoyed.

At that moment Kelly walks in the room with Griffin.

"Sorry if I'm late," Griffin says to Gustavo. "I had to go get some warm pants,"

"Don't worry, you are just in time," Gustavo tells him.

Griffin then glances at Gabi sitting at the other end of the table.

"Am I seeing things, or did she really get her nosed pierced?" Griffin asks as he looks at her.

Gabi just gives him a sarcastic smile before continuing her death glare at him and the rest of the people in front of her.

"Ok then, lets get started," Gustavo says. "Kelly, hand me the first CD,"

Kelly opens up a file folder she is holding and hands Gustavo a CD. Gustavo then holds it up and on it is a picture of her from last year, still being blonde and beautiful along with her name and the CD title Me Against The World. He then puts it on the table and slides it towards her.

"Ok, why am I looking at this piece of crap CD?" Gabi asks him annoyed as she leans forward and pushes it away.

Gustavo and Griffin just look at the girl sitting in front of them who once was a great role model and amazing singer, and all they see is the new her, black haired, heavy eye liner, black finger nails, don't give a damn attitude her.

"That CD is yours," Griffin says. "It came out last year, right after you performed with Eminem on the Today show the song Love The Way You Lie,"

"I know," Gabi says annoyed.

She then snaps her gum again just to annoy the three people she was glaring at standing in front of her.

"look at these songs," Griffin says as he leans forward and flips the CD over to look at the song list of the back. "Right Here, Slipped Away, My World, Stand In The Rain, I Learned From You,"

"why are you naming off the crappy songs off that crappy CD?" Gabi asks as she continues to glare.

"This Is Me," Griffin says ignoring her comment. "that is the song that got you out there in the first place, its what made Gabi McCoy,"

"no, its what made another pop wannabe preppy girl," Gabi says annoyed. "its not what made Gabi McCoy,"

Griffin just looks at the annoying seventeen-year-old girl in front of him.

"anyway," Gustavo says. "the lyrics on these songs, there innocent and fun and perfect for kids, ages nine through seventeen,"

"again, where the hell are you going with this?" Gabi asks annoyed as she snaps her gum again. "I have a life,"

"Kelly, hand me the article," Gustavo says.

Kelly reaches into her file folder and hands Gustavo an article from an Internet website and Gustavo puts it on the table and pushes it in front of her.

Gabi just looks down at it with no emotion then looks back up.

"why am I looking at this?" she asks him.

"what are you doing in that picture?" Griffin asks as he crosses his arms.

"I am punching Vanessa Hudgens in the face," Gabi answers him.

"why did you punch Vanessa Hudgens in the face?" Griffin asks her mad.

"because she was being annoying," Gabi answers him.

"so you punched her in the face?" Griffin asks her.

"yeah," Gabi replies simply to him. "If you ask me, someone really needed to, I am so tired of hearing about her and Zac Efron, and all those other stupid Disney stars, who the hell even likes High School Musical, it's the stupidest thing out there,"

"ok, listen McCoy," Griffin says through gritted teeth as he glares at the girl in front of him who just looks back emotionlessly.

"whoa…" Gustavo says. "Griffin, take a seat, I think I can take it from here,"

Griffin sits down at the table.

"ok, Gabi, why we called you here is because you need to look at yourself," Gustavo says. "look at you, your hair is black with red in it, you are wearing a dark red and black stripped shirt, black mini skirt, black boots, all that eye liner,"

"ok, I know what I am wearing and what make up is on my face," Gabi interrupts him. "just get to the point,"

"look at the CD in front of you," Gustavo tells her.

Gabi looks down again to see her sixteen-year-old self when she was blonde and happy. Gustavo then grabs the folder from Kelly and places a picture on the table of the blonde her and Kendall where they are happy and smiling.

Gabi instantly pushes it away.

"don't make me gag," she says.

"ok, here is the deal," Gustavo says. "you are not who you are, you are not the pretty teen great role model everyone loves, you are a gothic chick who everyone thinks is insane, what do you have to say for that,"

"time has changed me," Gabi says before snapping her gum again.

"Gabi, four months ago, you were this beautiful teen queen who everyone loved and wanted to be," Gustavo says. "you were gorgeous, famous, and humble, now you are gothic, creepy and a snob, we can't sell this image, we need to fix it,"

"where are you going with this?" Gabi asks annoyed. "I have places to be,"

"listen to me for one minute," Gustavo says mad at her. "what the hell happened to the old you, four months ago, everyone wanted to be you, now ever since that breakup with that monkey dog, you have changed"

Gabi quickly stands up causing her chair to fall backward. She puts her hands on the table and leans forward.

"you don't want to go there," Gabi says intimidating, "and you don't want to mention that son of a bitch in front of me, or my fist will connect with your face, got it, I already punched Vanessa Hudgens for less, don't think I wont punch you Gustavo,"

Gustavo just glares at her and Griffin stands up.

"that is what we are talking about," Griffin says mad. "we cant have you glamorizing this animal you've become, now, you either go back to the old Gabi McCoy, the teen queen who everyone loved, or you can continue being the bitchy new one and I will fire you,"

"at least I don't do drugs, I don't drink, and sleep with random guys whose names I don't even know like Miley does now," Gabi says through gritted teeth, "I am still clean, sober, and would be a virgin if what didn't happen to me over a year ago happened,"

Gabi then takes her hands off the table and grabs the picture of her and Kendall and tears it in half without taking her eyes off Griffin or Gustavo.

"I honestly don't give a damn what people think about me, this is real, this is me, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be, now I'm am going to let the freaking light shine on me," Gabi says stubbornly "I've finally found who I am, there is no way to hold it in, no more hiding who I want to be, this is me, understand that, I am not going to change,"

"we just want to know why you changed," Kelly says stepping forward trying to relieve the tension between the three of them. "four months ago, everything was going great,"

"four months ago, I was dating that stupid idiot from your stupid boy band, Big Time Rush," Gabi says spitefully. "now I'm not, this is who I am, deal with it,"

Gabi then grabs her bag off the table, throws it over her shoulder and walks out of the room.

**A/N: yay! here is the first chapter of the sequel! **


	2. Chapter 2

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 2

Kendall Knight just glares at the TV screen in apartment 2J. On it was a clip from him and Gabi singing This Is Me over a year ago on the Ellen show. It was only a little over a year, but it seemed like that was from a hundred years ago. Gabi looked happy on stage, even though she was scared to death because the day before she found out she was pregnant with her abusive ex boyfriends baby. That was the day she found out Dante died. Her older brother. She was a huge mess that day after the Ellen show. That's when he first started having feelings for her.

The TV screen then changes from it showing the clip to footage of the new Gabi McCoy, black hair with red streaks, dressed in black and punk rock stuff with a stud in the right nostril of her nose.

'Gabi, what has caused you to change your appearance and stuff,' a reporter asks her

'Gabi, why did you die your hair?'

'Is this something to do with your split with Kendall Knight of Big Time Rush'

'You better get that camera out of my face in the next five seconds, or else I will cram it down your throat and the only thing you will be filming is your stomach acid digesting your foot after I cram that down your mouth too,' the new Gabi says to the reporters as she walks away from them.

"And there you have it," a news reporter says on the TV. "That is the newest footage of ex pop singer Gabi McCoy, best known for her hit songs This Is Me, a duet with Kendall Knight of Big Time Rush, Nobody's Home, I Learned From You and being a part of the smash hit with Eminem, Love The Way You Lie, she has been like this for four months already, rumor has it that it has something to do with her split with BTR member, Kendall Knight, the two were together for over ten months before the couple split for unreleased reasons, rumor also has it that if she doesn't change her image back to the good girl she once was, Rocque Records is going to drop her,"

Kendall turns off the TV and sits forward on the sofa before just sitting there and thinking about what it used to be like for him and Gabi.

_Gabi leans her head on Kendall's shoulder and he puts his arm around her and held her close to him as they sit on a sandy beach and just watch the sunset. His heart was racing in chest because he was finally going to tell Gabi how he felt about her. Finally tell her he had fallen in love with her. He had felt that way for over a month now and was just trying to figure out the perfect way to tell her. Let her know how he felt. _

_ Kendall then takes a deep breath and lets it out._

_ Gabi looks up at him._

_ "Are you ok, you seem really nervous?" she asks him. _

_ Kendall looks down at her. _

_ "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm great, actually a lot better then great," Kendall tells her. "There is just something I really need to tell you,"_

_ "Ok, what is it?" Gabi asks him. _

_ Kendall just looks down at her and his emerald green eyes meet her dark brown ones._

_ "I love you,"_

James and Carlos walking in the front door to the apartment interrupt Kendall's thoughts and they quickly walk over to the sofa where Kendall is sitting while they ramble on about something that had to do with Lighting the TV Wonder Dog and his Sexy Dog Food commercials.

James then grabs the remote from where it sits on the sofa next to Kendall and turns the TV on and it goes straight to the channel Kendall was watching and it continues on about Gabi.

"There shouldn't be much of a problem to the This Is Me singer if the record label does drop her, we have heard from several sources that Hawke Records will be waiting to sign her once she is released from Rocque Records, and will not have a problem with Miss McCoy's new gothic punk rock look, not to mention she is close friends with Marshall Mathers who is better known as his stage name Eminem or Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady, and he has his own record company Shady Records, even though he only produces rap, he would probably pull strings for his friend who he met while recording their smash hit Love The Way You Lie,"

"Turn it off," Kendall says emotionlessly.

James then clicks the button on the remote.

"Sorry dude," Carlos says. "We know how much it still hurts,"

Kendall doesn't answer him.

"It's been four months, do you want to talk about what happened at all?" James asks him.

Kendall shakes his head.

"No," he answers James.

"We don't even know the full story," James says "you never told us anything, just became depressed one day saying you broke up,"

"Which I still don't see how that would happen, you know, all that you went through, you got stabbed in the shoulder by a crazy guy, she was abducted by the same guy who she dated back in her home town who got her pregnant," Carlos says next. "But, you know, you are better off without her, you don't need her, she is crazy to not want to be with you,"

"And, good job getting out when you could dude," James tells him. "You get to far into a relationship, the girl gets clingy and needy, and before you know it, she wants commitment, she wants you to love her, and only her, you do not want to get that far into a relationship with a girl, no girl is worth it,"

Kendall then stands up and just glares at James with no emotion on his face.

"She was worth it," Kendall tells him. "Gabi was worth everything,"


	3. Chapter 3

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 3

Gabi walks through the front door of her apartment to see her manager, Josh Jefferson sitting in the chair in her living room waiting for her.

Four months ago, after her break up with Kendall, Gabi moved out of the Palm Woods, she could not stand being in the same place he was living. She also hired a manager after she dyed her beautiful blonde hair black and put blood red streaks in it. He did all her hard work for her; all she had to do was show up to the places she was supposed to be. He was more like a baby sitter to her anyway. She had really gone down in maturity in the past four months. She was careless, bratty, snobby and didn't give a damn about anything.

"Sup Jefferson," Gabi says casually as she puts her bag down on the coffee table in her living room.

She looks at him with her cold brown eyes.

"Ok, you had a meeting with Gustavo Rocque and Arthur Griffin today, and you didn't tell me," Josh says mad as he stands up.

"It must have slipped my mind," Gabi answers him carelessly. "I knew I was forgetting something,"

"Gabi, I am your manager," Josh says mad to her. "You hired me to help with your career after you dyed your hair and changed your image from a good girl to looking like you just stepped out of a Three Days Grace concert after she just slept with the lead guitarist,"

"Yeah, I know," Gabi replies. "I sign your paycheck, I know what you do for a living, and I haven't had sex since the time I was raped, and it will be that way for a long time,"

Gabi then grabs a hand full of Reese's Pieces from a dish on the coffee table and puts a few in her mouth.

"so, Jefferson, what do you need?" Gabi asks him.

"we need to discuss this image," Josh says as he stands up. "five months ago, you were sweet, blonde, and innocent, now you are gothic, bitchy and don't give a damn,"

"your point?" Gabi asks him annoyed.

"ever since your breakup with Kendall Knight, you haven't been acting yourself," Josh says.

Gabi cringes at the sound of Kendall's name.

"I am going to tell you what I told Gustavo today, you don't want to mention that son of a bitches name in front of me unless you want a face full of fist," Gabi tells him spitefully as she continues her death glare at him.

"just tell me what happened between the two of you," Josh says annoyed as he stands up. "what made you break up, what caused this,"

"that is my business, and you don't need to know it," Gabi says mad.

"I'm your manager, I need to know," Josh says mad. "you've turned into something your not, five months ago, your lyrics were nice, what happened that made you change from 'I learned from you that I will not crumble, I learned that strength is something you choose, all of the reasons I keep on believing, that's a lesson I learned from you' to 'I cant be tamed, I cant be tamed, I cant be blamed,' and 'I don't give a damn, I don't give a damn what you think about it, I'm not going to cry about a stupid guy, now I don't give a damn,"

"its 'I don't give a damn, I don't give a damn what you say about that, you know I don't give a damn, I don't give a damn what you say about that, I'm not gonna cry about some stupid guy, a guy who thinks he's all that," Gabi corrects him. "if you are going to quote my newer songs, at least get them right,"

"you call these songs?" Josh asks mad as he grabs a notebook off the table. "you call 'ya, ya, ya, I'm a lot to handle, na, na, na, I'm on the hell of a scandal, me on the scene, I'm a drama queen, I'm the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen a song?"

"yeah, that is my song The Best Damn Thing," Gabi answers him.

"how do you call this a song?" Josh asks as he flips the page. "for those of you who don't know me, I can get a little bit crazy, have to get my way twenty four hours a day cuz I'm hot like that, every guy everywhere just gives me mad attention, like I'm under inspection, I also get a ten because I'm hot like that,"

"yeah, that is Can't Be Tamed," Gabi answers him. "a newer one, for the next album,"

"there is not going to be a next album if you keep acting like this," Josh says mad.

"act like what?" Gabi asks him annoyed.

"like you are a freaking gothic chick who doesn't give a damn," Josh answers her.

"maybe I am a gothic chick who doesn't give a damn," Gabi answers him. "because honestly, I don't,"

"just tell me what caused this," Josh says mad. "what caused you and Kendall to break up, you two were so perfect together,"

"shut up," Gabi says mad. "you better shut your mouth before I do it for you,"

Josh then grabs a picture frame that is facing down on the coffee table and hands it to Gabi. Gabi stubbornly takes it from his hands and looks at it. It was a picture of her and Kendall.

"what the hell is this piece of crap doing in my apartment," Gabi says as she glares at it.

"tell me what happened between the to of you," Josh says mad as he looks at her with his dark eyes. "I am your manager, I deserve to know exactly what happened between the two of you, what caused this hatred towards him, what caused you to change into a gothic punk rocker, what did this boy do to you,"

"what happened is none of your business," Gabi says annoyed.

"did he hurt you physically like that Justin guy did?" Josh asks her. "did he pressure you into doing something you didn't want to do…"

Gabi answers him by chucking the picture frame at the wall of her apartment and the glass shatters into a million pieces before it falls to the floor with a thud.

"does that answer your question?" Gabi asks him mad. "does it? Because I don't want to see that son of a bitches face again, and I definitely do not want to talk about it, now, do me a huge favor and get the hell out of my apartment,"

Josh just looks at her mad and his dark eyes meet her brown ones as she glares at him. after a minute of pure silence, Josh finally walks towards the door to exit her apartment.

"Gabi, this isn't over," he says before he opens it. "and I want to know exactly what happened between you and Kendall Knight,"

her manager then walks out of her apartment and Gabi sits down on the sofa and puts her head in her hands as she takes a deep breath.

_"are you ok, you seem really nervous," Gabi says to Kendall as she looks up at him._

_Kendall then looks down at her. _

_"yeah, I'm fine, I'm great, I'm actually a lot better then great," Kendall tells her. "there is just something I really need to tell you,"_

_"ok, what is it?" Gabi asks him._

_Kendall then just looks down at her and his emerald green eyes meet her dark brown ones._

_"I love you,"_

Gabi instantly gets up and pushes that memory to the back of her mind. She then walks over and grabs the picture frame off the floor and just wonders why stupid Josh brought it over.

_"I will love you forever, I can promise you that,"_

Gabi then drops the picture frame onto the coffee table as she hears his voice in her ear.

"liar," Gabi nearly yells as a few tears fall down her cheeks.

She quickly grabs one of the drinking glasses off the coffee table and chucks it at the wall right by the front door and it shatters on impact just like the glass on the picture frame. Instantly after it shatters, the door opens to her apartment.

"what the hell is going on in here?"

**A/N: yay! i am soooooo happy! i was at the mall today going back to school shopping (yuck) and we past by Build-a-bear, and i got the idea to make a Big Time Rush bear! ya, i made a dog, and dressed him up as a hockey player and named him Kendall. i even got the special jersey that had the team name he mentioned in the series premiere Big Time Audition, where he wanted to play hockey for, so yeah, sorry for rambling. **


	4. Chapter 4

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 4

"What the hell is going on in her?"

Gabi looks up to see Marshall peeking his head through the door before he just stares at the water on the wall that was still in the drinking glass when Gabi chucked it. He then looks up to Gabi who has her arms crossed across her black and red striped tank top and is in tears.

Marshall then opens the door fully and walks in.

"Gabi, is everything ok?" he asks her as he walks over. "Are you feeling ok, what's wrong?"

Gabi just looks up at Marshall in more tears as they fall smearing her eyeliner as the fall from her eyes. Marshall then rushes over to her and hugs her and Gabi throws her arms around him and just lets the tears flow out.

After a moment Marshall unhugs her and puts his hands on her shoulders and just looks at her.

"Gabi, what's going on?" Marshall asks her. "Why are you crying?"

Gabi grabs the broken picture frame off the coffee table and hands it to Marshall before she crosses her arms again and slouches forward.

"Gabi, you guys broke up four months ago, what is this still doing here?" Marshall asks her confused. "I thought I instructed you that it was best to get rid of everything that reminded you of him,"

"I did," Gabi says in tears. "But my stupid manager wants me to tell him everything that happened between him and I, so he brought this in here just to piss me off, he definitely succeeded,"

Marshall then sits down on the sofa and motions for Gabi to sit next to him so she does and crosses her legs showing off her black vinyl boots that go up to just under her knee cap.

"He wants you to talk about it?" Marshall asks her.

Gabi nods as she wipes her eyes again.

"The record company also wants to know," Gabi tells him. "And they want me to change my look also, and I don't want to go back to the way I was, and I definitely don't want to sit down and talk about what happened that made Kendall and I break up, I don't want to go through that horrible night again to those people, they wont understand how hurt I was, how hurt I still am,"

"Gabi, what happened, being hurt from that is still very understandable," Marshall tells her. "And you don't have to talk about it with anyone if you don't want to, I am really sorry about what happened,"

"Everybody is sorry," Gabi says in more tears getting a little mad. "There all sorry that it didn't work out between Kendall and I, they have no idea what happened,"

"I know," Marshall says. "They don't know, and they don't understand how much pain your in, I have three girls, Hailie is only fifteen so she wont be going through this for a while, because she wont be aloud to date until she graduates high school, but Lainey, Lainey went through heartbreak, and it was awful, no girl should have to go through that, especially so young like you are,"

"If I tell them, they wont understand still," Gabi says. "No one knows what its like to walk in and find some girl you don't know straddling your boyfriend on his sofa in her underwear while he isn't wearing a shirt with her tongue crammed down his throat and his hands are all over her,"

Gabi pauses as more tears fall and Marshall pats her on the back letting her know that he's there.

"I should have seen it coming," Gabi continues "I knew it was to good to be true, for a nice guy to like me, my first boyfriend used me for a human punching bag, and when that wasn't enough, he used me for sex getting me pregnant, and then later beating me up enough to the point where I lost my unborn baby girl,"

Gabi pauses again and wipes her eyes as more of the tears come pouring out.

"But I should have seen it coming when he wanted to go further and I didn't," Gabi continues again. "I wasn't ready, I was still getting over what Justin did to me, I should have seen it coming that he would cheat on me to get sex, because that's what all teenage guys want in the first place, isn't it?"

Marshall stays quiet for a moment not sure how to answer that question, truthfully or lie to make her feel better.

Gabi just looks down at her black bracelet with a red star on it as she waits for him to answer her. Before he does, he takes a deep breath.

"I know you hate it when people lie, so I am going to tell you the truth on that," Marshall says. "Most of them, yeah, that's what they want, I remember when I was teenager, that's what I wanted besides drugs and to start my rapping career, and a better home life, man my mom sucked, she was popping pills all over the place and tried to convince people I was sick for money and she always had the 'sue your way out' motto,"

"So, if your girlfriend didn't give it to you, you cheated on her?" Gabi asks him.

"Listen, I didn't have a good childhood at all, I didn't really have a girlfriend, except for Kim, I had more of flings and hookups with the groupies from the place where I rap battled," Marshall tells her. "You are asking the wrong guy,"

"You're the only guy I know to ask," Gabi says. "My older brother is dead, he's been gone over a year now, my dad hasn't spoken to me since his funeral, and I don't really have any guy friends, actually, I don't really have any friends except for you and my stupid manager, but he doesn't count because I pay him,"

"You know Hailie and Whitney still thank your pretty cool," Marshall tells her. "You and Hailie got pretty close,"

"But Hailie is always busy with her friends from her dance classes and stuff," Gabi says. "And Whitney is only ten, don't get me wrong, she is awesome, but not someone I can really talk to about my problems,"

"Well, just know you can talk to me," Marshall says to her. "You are like a daughter to me,"

"Then can I ask you something?" Gabi says.

"Yeah, go ahead," Marshall tells her.

"is it…is it my fault Kendall cheated?" she asks him. "because I wasn't ready to go all the way? Is there something wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough for him?"

"ok, I am going to tell you the same thing I told Lainey when this happened to her," Marshall says. "it is not your fault that a guy cheats, its his fault, and you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do, and if you weren't good enough for him they way you were, its his loss,"

**A/N: ok, before the death threats come...i would like to tell you there is more to the story then what Gabi said. ya, and four reviews before i update**


	5. Chapter 5

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 5

"Kendall, just tell me what happened that night you broke up," Carlos says as he and James follow him around apartment 2J.

"you don't need to know," Kendall says emotionlessly as he grabs a water bottle from the fridge in the kitchen.

"Kendall, it's been four months," James says. "she has turned gothic, she threatens papperazzi's, she dyed her hair black, she dresses like a gothic chick, she got her nose pierced, she looks a lot hotter then she used too, we deserve to know what happened,"

"you want to know what happened?" Kendall asks mad. "you really want to know,"

"yeah," Carlos says. "that's what we have been waiting to hear from you,"

"ok, she dumped me," Kendall says as he glares at James and Carlos. "she just dumped me,"

"why would she just dump you," Carlos asks as he crosses his arms.

"yeah, I thought you two were like really committed, you really cared about her," James says.

"I didn't just care about her," Kendall says. "I loved her, I still do,"

"whoa," James says "stop and think about what you had just said, never fall in love with a girl, when you think you are falling for her, that's when you run and get as far away out of the relationship as you can, and you don't want to get trapped,"

"I wasn't trapped," Kendall says mad. "I loved her and she meant everything to me,"

"then why would she just dump you?" Carlos asks.

"you guys asked what happened to us," Kendall says. "I told you what happened, she dumped me, that's all you need to know,"

Kendall then turns around and walks off to his room down the hallway. He really did not want to talk to anyone or even see anyone right now.

After he walks in the room he slams the door shut and walks over to his bed and sits on it.

_Kendall knocks on the door to Gabi's apartment at the Palm Woods. On the inside, he can hear her blasting the song Shut Up by Simple Plan on the inside, which was really weird to him since she never really listened to Simple Plan. These days all she listened to was Eminem. _

_After a moment there is no answer so he knocks again. _

_"Gabs, its me," Kendall says. "open the door,"_

_he hears no reply so he knocks again._

_"Gabs, come on, open the door," Kendall says again as he knocks. _

_At that moment, the door opens up and Kendall comes face to face with Gabi. She had her blonde hair in a ponytail and was wearing a blue tank top with a peace sign on it along with skinny jeans and she looked like she had been crying her eyes out for the last twelve hours. _

_"what do want?" Gabi asks him as she crosses her arms. _

_"what do I want?" Kendall says confused. "I am here to see my girlfriend,"_

_"you have the wrong door," Gabi tells him as she glares at him. "the only person who lives in this apartment is me and I am not dating anyone, and I don't plan on it for a long time because all guys are stupid pigs,"_

_"Gabi, what are you talking about?" Kendall asks her confused. _

_"what am I talking about?" Gabi asks him mad. "you are seriously just going stand there and act like nothing is wrong?"_

_"Gabi, what the hell are you talking about?" Kendall asks her. "what is going on, why are you crying?"_

_"wow, you seriously are just going to stand here in front of me and act like nothing is wrong," Gabi says in more tears. _

_"I am going to ask you what the hell is going on, and what you are talking about," Kendall says. _

_"ok," Gabi says mad "fair enough, where were you last night,"_

_"I went to the movies with Carlos and James, we saw that one new cop movie, we came back home and I went to bed early because I wasn't feeling to well," Kendall answers her. "what is this about?"_

_"you really are going to stick with that story?" Gabi asks him mad. _

_"yeah," Kendall says. "because that's what happened,"_

_Gabi just glares at Kendall as the Jennifers walk down the hallway and past them._

_"why don't I come in and you tell me what is going on, what has you all worked up," Kendall says as he takes a step toward her. _

_"no," Gabi says. "don't come near me, I don't want to see you ever again,"_

_"what is going on?" Kendall asks her really confused. _

_"how can you just stand there and act so clueless?" Gabi asks him as more tears fall. _

_"would you just tell me what you are talking about?" Kendall says. _

_"you want to know what I'm talking about?" Gabi asks him. "I am talking about last night when I walked in on you and some slutty brunette while she was in her underwear, you had no shirt on and her tongue was down your throat and your hands were all over her,"_

_Kendall just looks at her shocked. _

_"yeah, I know about that," Gabi says in tears as she just looks at him hurt. "I went up to your apartment last night, no one answered the door so I opened it to see if anyone was home, and I see you on the sofa with that girl with your tongues crammed down each others throats half naked, and it was disgusting,"_

_"Gabi…" Kendall starts. _

_"no, I don't want to hear it," Gabi says in more tears. "I wanted to believe that when you told me you loved me, that you would actually mean it, you told me you would love me forever, you promised that, and I went against my gut instinct to shut you out of my life when I first started having feelings for you, you said you would never hurt me…"_

_"Gabs, just listen," Kendall says trying to get her attention. _

_"no, you don't get to talk," Gabi says in more tears as she gets more emotional over this. "I saw you with another girl and you two looked like you were about ready to hop in bed together, I don't have to tell you how hurt I was by that because I think I have made it really clear,"_

_"listen, Gabi," Kendall says to her._

_"I said you don't get to talk," Gabi says still in tears. "I just want to know one thing, did you do that with her because I wasn't ready to go all the way with you, am I not enough for you, what's wrong with me?"_

_"Gabs, there is nothing wrong with you," Kendall tells her. "you are the most amazing girl in the world and I love you,"_

_"if you love me then why the hell were you with another girl?" Gabi asks him as more tears fall. "because when a guy loves a girl and she means the world to him, he doesn't sleep with another girl, he doesn't make out with another girl, the only girl he ever wants to be with is the girl he loves, and obviously I wasn't enough for you,"_

_"Gabi, just let me explain," Kendall says. _

_"I don't want to hear it," Gabi says in more tears. "and I don't want to see you ever again, you told me you loved me, I opened up my heart to you after everything I have been through and you just cheat on me, I never want to see you ever again, now get out of my face,"_

_Gabi then tries to close the door to her apartment but Kendall puts his foot in the way._

_"just let me explain to you what happened," Kendall says. "please, just let me, give me a chance,"_

_"I gave you a chance when you blew it by being with that slut, and I hope she was worth it, and what you guys did together was worth losing me over, because you did lose me," Gabi says mad. "now get out of my face, I never want to see you again, its over,"_

_Gabi then slams the door in Kendall's face. _

"it didn't happen the way you think it did," Kendall says to himself.

That was true. It didn't happen the way she thought it did.

**A/N: not much to say, four reviews and i will update**


	6. Chapter 6

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 6

The next day, Gabi McCoy wakes up to the sound of her front door opening. As soon as her eyes open she lifts her head up to realize that she fell asleep on the sofa in the living room last night in she same clothes she wore the day before. Her black and red striped tank top, black mini skirt and she even still had her black boots on.

She glances up at the TV and sees that it is on and on the screen is the menu for 8 Mile, and it keeps repeating the clips to the chorus to Lose Yourself.

"Did you seriously sleep on the sofa in your clothes last night?" a voice says.

Gabi looks up to see her stupid manager Josh walking towards her.

"Yeah, I did, what's it to you?" Gabi asks him annoyed as she sits up. She quickly runs her fingers through her jet-black hair with the blood red streaks in it as she yawns.

"Ok, well, I need you to get up, and go get dressed, we have somewhere to go," Josh tells her.

"And where is that?" Gabi asks him.

"To Rocque Records, I called Gustavo last night, I think I know a way to fix your image," Josh tells her.

"I like the way I am," Gabi says. "I love be me, I love wearing black, I love my hair, I love my nose ring, I love what I wear,"

Josh just looks down at her annoyed.

"McCoy, just go get dressed and we will discuss this in the car ride," Josh tells her.

"What if I don't want to?" Gabi asks him.

"Gabi, after you hired me, your parents signed you away, I am legally responsible for you," Josh tells her annoyed. "Now go get changed into something else, we are leaving in ten minutes,"

Gabi glares at him for a moment before she stands up and walks down the hallway to her room, and five minutes later, she emerges wearing a black miniskirt with a white belt and a black tank top that has Simple Plan written across the top of it. She also has on black arm warmers and the same boots she wore yesterday on, she completed her outfit with a black rose chocker necklace, one black and one white steel cuff with skulls on it and locked shaped like hearts falling from her ears. She also had her black and red hair in a high ponytail.

Josh just looks at her for a moment taking in what she was wearing.

"Ok, there is no way in hell you are going there dressed like that," Josh tells her.

"Hey, you are my manager," Gabi tells him as she crosses her arms. "I pay you to take me places and get my paper work done for me and that crap, not to tell me what I can and cant wear, so, if you want me to go to this oh so important meeting, you are going to have to take me dressed like this,"

Josh just looks at the annoying seventeen-year-old girl in front him.

"Ok, fine, now grab your bag, were leaving," Josh says as he turns off her TV making the screen go from Marshall rapping as B-Rabbit to black.

Gabi grabs her bag off the coffee table and follows Josh out of the front door to her apartment and down to the parking lot where his car is parked. He quickly gets in the drivers seat and Gabi takes her time getting into the passenger seat and getting her seatbelt buckled just to annoy him.

"Hurry up," Josh says as Gabi gets her seatbelt buckled.

After she does, Josh pulls out of the parking lot fast and gets onto the road to get to Rocque Records.

"Why did you sleep on the sofa last night?" Josh asks her as he drives.

"I fell asleep while watching 8 Mile," Gabi says as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a stick of gum and unwraps it and puts it in her mouth.

"Why were you watching 8 Mile?" Josh asks her.

"Its my favorite movie," Gabi replies annoyed. "Where are you going with this Jefferson,"

Josh grips the steering wheel tighter. He hated it when she called him by his last name. that was exactly why she did it. Just to annoy him.

"just curious," Josh tells her. "did it have anything to do with you yelling at me yesterday,"

Gabi tightens her fists to the point her painted black fingernails were digging into her skin.

"does it have anything to do with Kendall Knight?" Josh asks her.

"shut up about that," Gabi says mad as she turns her head and glares at her manager.

"you know what, I am not going to do that," Josh tells her. "I want to know everything that happened between you and Kendall Knight, and I want to know why you broke up, and I want to know what inspired you to change yourself,"

"Marshall said I don't have to talk about it," Gabi says. "and I'm not,"

"Marshall is a forty year old washed out drugged up white rapper," Josh says annoyed.

"he is thirty eight," Gabi corrects him. "going on thirty nine, and he overcame that addiction he had to sleeping pills, the only reason he got addicted was because his best friend was shot and killed, and he isn't washed out, he made an amazing comeback with his CD Recovery, he won several teen choice awards for it. I even got a few for being involved with the song Love The Way You Lie,"

"I don't like what Marshall is telling you," Josh tells her as he continues to drive. "I don't want you hanging out with him, he is a bad influence,"

"ok, you are not the boss of me," Gabi says as she crosses her arms. "Marshall is a good friend, the only one I even have,"

"he is a forty year old ex drug addicted rapper," Josh says. "you can do better then that,"

"and you can do a lot better then managing me but you still do it," Gabi says spitefully. "and he is like a father to me, my parents bolted when they found out I was pregnant, Marshall is the closest thing I have to an adult male influence, he may have screwed up when he was a teenager and in his twenties and did bad stuff, but he has grown up, now, we are going to end this conversation,"

as soon as Gabi says that, Josh pulls up to Rocque Records. They both get out of the car and walk into Rocque Records and go to the elevator to get up to the right floor.

"what are we going to be discussing again?" Gabi asks him as the elevator doors open on their floor.

"saving your image," Josh tells her.

he then walks out of the elevator and Gabi follows him into the conference room.

"I got her," Josh says as he walks in.

Gabi follows a few steps behind but stops as soon as she gets inside.

"oh hell no," she says as she crosses her arms.

**A/N: ok, i have edited the Promo video and added something new, you should go to the link on my profile and watch it again.**


	7. Chapter 7

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 7

Gabi just glares at the people in front of her sitting at the table in the conference room. Gustavo, Griffin, and Kelly all sit at the table, but there was one other person there and his presents made Gabi want to jump in front of a bus.

"You said I had a meeting with the record company," Gabi says annoyed to her manager "what the hell is he doing here?"

Gabi then glares at the fourth person at the table. Kendall.

"This is a meeting with the record company," Josh tells her.

"Then tell me why he is here," Gabi says still annoyed.

Kendall just looks down at the table not wanting to make eye contact with the girl he was once so crazy in love with he hated to be apart with who now has changed to the point where she hated his guts and had gone gothic all because of something that did not look like it was.

_Kendall is sitting by the pool talking to James._

_"So, you and Gabi, you are pretty serious?" James asks him. _

_"Yeah," Kendall answers him. "I thought it was kind of obvious,"_

_"It is, just wanted to make sure," James says. "So why aren't you with her right now?"_

_"She is at the studio," Kendall replies. _

_He grabs a cup off the table next to him and takes a sip of his drink. _

_"The album came out already, what else is there for her to record?" James asks him. _

_"Gustavo wants a music video for either Nobody's Home or My World," Kendall tells him. "They are going over ideas for it, if its My World, she really wants to film it back in Brinnon, which makes sense, she wrote it about growing up there,"_

_"But doesn't she like hate her parents?" James asks him. _

_"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she cant go back to her hometown for a music video, she still knows people there," Kendall says. _

_At that moment James looks across the pool and sees a brunette that catches his eye talking to Camille and Stephanie._

_"Who is that?" James asks as he looks at her. _

_"I don't know," Kendall says. "That might be that new girl from Bensonhurst that everyone is talking about, her name is like Brooklyn or something,"_

_"Well, she is extremely hot," James says as he continues to look at her. "does she have a boyfriend,"_

_"I don't know," Kendall answers him. "and I don't really care, I have a girlfriend so I don't pay attention to stuff like that,"_

_the girl across the pool that James is staring at looks up and notices James staring so James quickly waves to her and she starts to walk over._

_"Kendall, leave," James tells him. _

_"what, why?" Kendall asks him._

_"that hot girl is on her way over here," James tells him. "she is mine, so go away,"_

_Kendall then stands up just as the girl walks over. She walks right past James and over to him. _

_"Hi," she says to Kendall with a smile. "I'm Brook Lynn, I just moved here from Bensonhurst up New York City, I am recording at Hawke Records,"_

_"nice to meet you," Kendall says casually. "I'm Kendall, I'm recording at Rocque Records and this is my friend James, and I got a place to be,"_

_Kendall then turns around to walk away trying to casually tell her he isn't interested, but she grabs his wrist._

_"well, Kendall, its nice to meet you," Brook Lynn tells him with a smile._

_James then stands up._

_"will you excuse us for a second," he says as he grabs Kendall and drags him away to the other side of the pool to yell at him about ruining his chance with the new girl. _

That was the last thing Kendall remembered from that night. He did not see Brook Lynn drug his soda that he was drinking. The next thing he remembered was waking up the next morning with a killer headache.

"so, anyone going to answer my question?" Gabi asks annoyed. "what is he doing here?"

"Gustavo came up with a way to save your image," Josh tells her.

"and that involves this SOB how, Jefferson?" Gabi asks him mad.

"remember how much publicity This Is Me brought you?" Gustavo says as he stands up.

"yes, I remember," Gabi says. "the publicity I didn't want because of my pregnancy, and like I said yesterday and the many times before, this is me, you cant change it, this is who I am, this is the way I am. I am not trying to save my good girl image,"

"listen, Gabi, we have you under contract," Griffin says as he stands up.

"yeah, I remember signing it, and there was nothing there that said I had to keep my image, just that I would be recording with Rocque Records," Gabi says annoyed.

"then you know we have the power of the contract to get you to sing whatever we want," Griffin says.

"no, you don't," Gabi says. "the contact says I write my own songs, if they aren't ones I have written, I have the choice,"

"I know," Griffin says.

he grabs some papers out of a folder and hands them to Gabi as he walks over. Gabi grabs them out of his hands and looks at them.

"and that is the song you wrote three months ago titled Before The Storm," Griffin says. "Gustavo kept it and gave it to me, you wrote it as a duet,"

Gabi then glances to Kendall is still seated at the table.

"no way in hell," Gabi says mad. "I wrote this as a duet, for me and someone else like Nick or Joe Jonas or Zac Efron or something, I would settle for David Archeletta, but Kendall, that is out of the question,"

"may I remind you you're under contract," Griffin tells her.

"may I remind you, I am a gothic teenage girl who doesn't give a damn," Gabi says.

"Gabi, you are under contract, and I want you to record the song with Kendall," Griffin tells her.

"there is no way I am recording a song with him again," Gabi says. "I don't want to be anywhere near him ever again,"

Gabi then shoves the lyric sheets down on the table and walks out of the room mad.

**A/N: four reviews and i will update...also, i would appriciate it if the death threats would stop**


	8. Chapter 8

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 8

Griffin just looks at Gabi's manager Josh Jefferson.

"That went a lot better then I thought it would," Josh says to Griffin.

"How did that go a lot better?" Griffin asks him mad.

"Hey, she stayed for a good three minutes before storming off," Josh says. "That's progress for her,"

"Ok, since you are legally responsible for her and she is under contract and if she doesn't record the duet, I can sue you," Griffin tells Josh. "for a lot of money, which will make you very poor and in debt, so if I were you, I would get Gabi to agree to do the duet, she has four days,"

"And for you Monkey Dog," Gustavo says as he looks to Kendall. "I want to know everything that happened between the two of you and her, why the hell does she hate you,"

Kendall just looks up at Gustavo and says nothing.

"Monkey dog, answer my question," Gustavo says mad.

"Yeah, do us all a favor and tell us," Josh says annoyed. "Because Gabi wont tell me anything because Marshall told her she didn't have to and now she is listening to everything he says, so tell us what you know, what the hell caused her to hate your guts,"

Kendall doesn't answer and continues to just look at him, Griffin and Gustavo emotionlessly.

"Come on," Griffin says annoyed. "That girl has been through enough already with that abusive ex boyfriend getting her pregnant and then being kidnapped by him again only to go into a coma from getting hit over the head with an ax handle causing her to lose her unborn daughter who she already loved, what did you do to her,"

Kendall stands up and just looks at Griffin mad.

"I didn't do anything to her," he replies mad. "I never did anything to hurt her,"

Gabi walks out of Rocque Records and just kept on walking down the street. She had no idea where she was going but she just needed to get away from there. Away from Kendall. Away from anything that reminded her of him and who they once were.

_Gabi sits by the pool at the Palm Woods just staring at a page in her notebook with some song lyrics she wanted to use for her new song, According To You._

_According To You  
__I'm Stupid  
__I'm Useless  
__I Can't Do Anything Right_

_According To You  
__I'm Difficult  
__Hard To Please  
__For Ever Changing My Mind_

_According To Him  
__I'm Beautiful  
__Incredible  
__He Can't Get Me Out Of His Head_

_According To Him  
__I'm Funny  
__Irresistible  
__Everything He Ever Wanted_

_That was all she had so far. It would be a song comparing her relationships with Justin and Kendall, proving that Kendall is the best for her. _

_Kendall then comes and sits down next to her at the pool._

_"Hey Beautiful," Kendall says as he sits down. "Working on a song,"_

_"Yeah," Gabi answers him. _

_"Which one?" he asks her. _

_"Its nothing," Gabi answers him. _

_"If it was nothing, then you wouldn't be working on it," Kendall says. _

_"Well, it is nothing," Gabi replies. _

_"Come on," Kendall says. "Let me see it,"_

_Gabi hesitantly hands him her notebook. Kendall grabs it and looks down at it as he reads what she has. _

_"According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless, I cant do anything right, according to you, I'm difficult, hard to please, for ever changing my mind, according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible, he cant get me out of his head, according to him, I'm funny, irresistible, everything he ever wanted," Kendall reads aloud. _

_He then looks to Gabi. _

_"You are definitely beautiful and incredible, I cant get you out of my head, you are definitely funny and irresistible, you are definitely everything I ever wanted," Kendall tells her. "And you always will be,"_

Gabi quickly pushes that memory to the back of her mind as a few tears fall from her brown eyes. If she were really beautiful, incredible, funny, irresistible, everything Kendall ever wanted and he couldn't get her out of his head, she never would have found him with that girl the way she did.

She then pulls her phone out of her bag and dials a number before putting it up to her ear as it rings a few times.

"Hello," a male voice says from the end of the line.

"Its me," Gabi says. "Are you busy, I need to talk,"

"No, I am not that busy, just having lunch with Obie Trice at Mandini's, is everything ok,"

"Not really, I just really need to talk to someone," Gabi replies. "I am only four blocks away, do you mind if I come there, or do you want me to wait until you are done?"

"No, come on over, I'll meet you outside,"

"Ok, thanks Marshall,"

Gabi flips her phone closed and continues to walk the four blocks to the restaurant where Marshall was at and Obie Trice is sitting next to him. She sees him sitting on a bench outside and quickly walks over.

"I hope I didn't bother you guys," Gabi says.

Marshall and Obie stand up.

"No, its no problem," Marshall tells her. "Gabi, this is Obie, he was signed to my record label, Shady Records for a while. Obie, This is Gabi McCoy, I recorded Love The Way You Lie with her,"

"Nice to meet you Gabi," Obie says.

"Nice to meet you too," Gabi replies. "And again, I am sorry if I bothered you guys, I just really need to talk to Marshall about some stuff,"

"Its fine," Obie says. "Marshall I will talk to you later,"

Obie then turns around and walks away.

"Ok, Gabi, what is it?" Marshall asks her.

"I need to know what my chances are of getting out of my contract with Rocque Records," Gabi says.

"Why would you want out of it?" Marshall asks her.

"They want me to record a song with him," Gabi answers him as she crosses her arms. "They want me to record another song with him, and I am not going to do it,"

"Gabi," Marshall says. "I understand that you don't want to do that, but going out of your contract, that is going a little to far,"

"Marshall, I am not recording a song with him, I don't want to be near him again, let alone in a recording booth singing about how I don't want our relationship to be over, because I do want it to be over," Gabi says.

"If you get out of your contract, you won't have a record label," Marshall tells her. "Then you will be out of a job, and have to go back to your hometown where your parents are,"

"Hawke Records," Gabi says. "They want to sign me, and will take my new look,"

"You sure you really want to do that?" Marshall asks her.

"Yeah," Gabi replies. "I want out of my contract with Rocque Records,"

"Ok, give me sec, I am going to call my lawyer to see how good your chances are of getting out of that contract, he is a pretty good lawyer, he won my lawsuit my mom filed about slander, he got me custody of Hailie when she was younger, and every other lawsuit I had he got me out of and won for me," Marshall tells her.

He then grabs his phone out of his pocket and dials a number before walking away from Gabi.

She then takes a deep breath and lets it out and just thinks about how much she just wants to get out of his contract.

She glances up to the street and sees a black sedan with tinted windows slow to five miles per hour as the window rolls down and the person in the passenger seat sticks something black out it.

"Marshall!"

**A/N: you know the drill, four reviews and i will update**


	9. Chapter 9

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 9

Time began to slow down after Gabi realized what was being stuck out of the window of the car, the barrel of a gun and the car was slowing down near Marshall. He was the target.

"Marshall," Gabi yells as she starts to sprint towards him.

she couldn't just let him stand there and be shot by some stranger. He had three daughters who needed him. she had to do something.

As soon as Marshall hears her voice, he turns to look to see what is wrong and why she just yelled his name and he sees the five foot two gothic girl speeding towards him and jumping at him causing him to lose his balance and they both fall to the ground as the gun goes off releasing many booms.

As soon as the booms start to go off, people start to scream. It doesn't take long for Marshall to realize what's going on. Growing up at 8 Mile in Detroit, drive by shootings were common. When he and Kim lived together after Hailie was born, a stray bullet even hit their house when Kim was in the kitchen washing the dishes. They moved out after that.

This was all too familiar for him. he left 8 Mile, Detroit to have a better life with his family. A stable place for his daughters to grow up. he never expected to get shot at outside a restaurant in the better part of LA. He actually hadn't witnessed a shooting or drive by since he left 8 Mile over a decade ago to start his rapping career and to give Hailie a better life.

Marshall then puts his arm over Gabi keeping her close to the ground. The best place to be while there's a shooting, get as close to the ground as possible and duck while the gun is going off. the shooter isn't likely to shoot at the ground more then higher up in the air where more people are.

The screams continue as others run for cover away from the shooter. Glass from the outside eating-place at the restaurant shatters such as glasses and the windows to the restaurant.

After about twenty seconds of consecutive gunshots from the automatic AK-47, the shots stop and the car speeds off. Marshall looks up a little to see how clear it is before he takes his arm from over Gabi letting her know its ok to get up.

"you ok?" Marshall asks her as he sits up a little.

"as good as I could be," Gabi replies as she roles over to her side and takes some deep breaths.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She had never witnessed or been a part of a drive by shooting before. This was definitely a first for her.

Gabi looks up at Marshall to see him staring at her stomach in shock as he tries to catch his own breath from the shock the shooting had. Gabi hesitantly then looks down at her stomach to see a giant stain in the middle of her stomach making her black shirt even darker. She quickly puts her hand there only to feel a warm, sticky wet liquid oozing from her shirt. When she glances down at her hand she sees that it is red. She was bleeding and that meant one thing.

She had been shot.

Gabi starts to breathe even harder as she realizes what just happened. Why didn't she feel the bullet? If she didn't feel the bullet, did that mean that it was worse then it normally would be.

She leans back down on the concrete not able to sit up.

"I need some help over here," Marshall yells. "somebody, I need some help over here,"

everybody around was running and scrambling to get away from the scene. All afraid the shooter would return or more shots would happen.

Gabi just looks up at Marshall with fear in her brown eyes as the blood continues to gush from her stomach where she had been shot.

"somebody, please," Marshall yells. "I need some help over here, she's shot,"

people still continue to scramble away none listening to him, causing Marshall to quickly pull his shirt off over his head to reveal his stomach and chest complete with all his tattoos, including the one that was a gravestone with Kim's name and then said Rot In Pieces, (he got it when he was drunk) and puts it on her stomach to put pressure on her wound.

"Gabi, listen to me," Marshall tells her "your gonna be ok, just stay still and breathe,"

sirens are starting to make themselves clear in the distance.

Marshall had been one of the lucky ones down in 8 Mile, he had never been shot before, but gunshots were often sound effects in the background as much as cars passing by and random people screaming the F word. He and Proof did their best to not cause a lot trouble that would involve guns. They may have been careless and high school dropouts, but there weren't stupid, a gun could beat a fist any day in a fight. A gun could shoot out a chunk of lead that would travel two hundred miles per hour and hurl itself into someone's flesh and go inside the body and lodge itself into an internal organ while a fist could just hit somebody hard enough. He was too young to even get a gun. Of course he could always steal one like he did the paint he used to customize clothes and jeans like he did for a while for money, but stealing a gun would have a lot more of a consequences then stealing paint.

He also had already lost one friend to getting fatally shot. Proof. He was shot at a club back home in 8 Mile. The police report said that Proof got drunk and shot a guy after they got into a fight and a bouncer shot Proof then, but Marshall knew Proof wouldn't use a gun for a fight. He would stand his ground and use his fists before he would shoot an unarmed man.

"Gabi, listen to me," Marshall then tells Gabi as he sees she is struggling to breathe. "I already lost one friend to a fatal gunshot wound, don't make me lose another, you need to pull through this, fight, don't give up now, just keep fighting it,"

Marshall then looks up to see Obie running towards him.

"Obie, I need your help," Marshall then yells.

Obie then speeds up and hurries over to him before bending down next to Gabi.

"where was she shot?" Obie asks him.

"looks like the stomach or back, or something, I don't know which is the entry or exit," Marshall says panicky.

"ok, Marshall, move your shirt," Obie tells him. "I need to see where the blood is coming from,"

Marshall moves his shirt from over Gabi's stomach and Obie looks at where the blood is gushing from.

"ok, looks like the bullet entered her abdomen," Obie says. "If were lucky it's lodged in the kidney and she has two of those, if not, it is lodged somewhere in either her intestines or pancreas, and she needs though,"

Marshall looks at Obie confused. Marshall only went to the ninth grade in school, and he repeated that year twice so he had no clue what Obie was talking about.

"I thought you were a high school dropout like me?" Marshall asks him

Obie looks to Marshall.

"I was, science was just my best subject," Obie tells him.

Marshall then looks down at Gabi and notices she is getting pale.

"ok, Gabi, just hold on, help will be here any second," Marshall tells her.

as soon as those words leave his mouth, Gabi's eyes shut.

**A/N: four reviews=update**


	10. Chapter 10

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 10

Kendall walks through the front door of apartment 2J with no emotion on his face. As soon as he steps inside he closes the door behind him and hopes that no one is home, that Logan is somewhere with Camille, that James was trying to flirt with some random girl and Carlos was wherever Carlos's go.

He was lucky. No one was home. He had a while before people would come and ask him how the meeting went at Rocque Records with Gustavo and Griffin, they would eventually find out that Gabi was there and then ask how it went. He did not want to answer that she still hated him. He did not even want to go into the details on why she hated him in the first place. He did not want to even remember what happened between them that tore them apart.

_Kendall walks down to the pool at the Palm Woods and sees Brook Lynn across the pool talking to Camille. He quickly walks over to her mad. _

_ "Kendall…" Camille says confused as she sees him. _

_ "Camille, I need to talk to her alone," Kendall says before grabbing Brook Lynn by the arm and dragging her away from Camille. _

_ "Ok, what was that about?" Brook Lynn asks him mad. "I was talking to someone,"_

_ "What did you slip me last night?" Kendall asks her mad. _

_ Brook Lynn just looks at him confused._

_ "What are you talking about?" she asks him. _

_ "Last night is all a blur to me," Kendall says mad. "I don't remember anything after you introduced yourself to me and we started talking, next thing I remember is waking up this morning with a killer head ache," _

_ "Well, what makes you think I slipped you something?" Brook Lynn replies emotionlessly to him._

_ "The fact that my girlfriend says she walked in on me and a slutty brunette on my sofa you in your underwear, me without a shirt on with our tongues down each others throats," Kendall says getting madder. "Seeing that you are a brunette and the last person I remember, which I barely even know you, I know that I would never cheat on my girlfriend, I love her and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me, so what the hell did you slip me,"_

_ "Who says I slipped you anything?" Brook Lynn asks him. "Maybe you don't love your girlfriend as much as you say you do, because she apparently caught you cheating on her,"_

_ "I would never cheat on Gabi, she has already been through hell with what her ex boyfriend put her through by using her as a human punching bag daily," Kendall says getting madder by the second. "And I love her, so tell me what the hell you slipped me resulting in me having no memory of last night and being so drugged out that I cheat on my girlfriend,"_

_ "I didn't drug you," Brook Lynn answers him simply. "But as for what happened last night, you did not seem to love this girlfriend you say you have, you seemed really into me, that's why you invited me up to your room last night,"_

_ "If it happened the way you say it did, then why the hell do I have no memory?" Kendall asks her still mad. _

_ "I don't know, why are you asking me?" Brook Lynn asks as she crosses her arms. _

_ "Listen, I know you drugged me," Kendall says mad. "And I don't know what happened after that, but all I know is my girlfriend walked in on you and me, and that would never have happened if I was not drugged up on whatever you gave me,"_

_ "Ok, what do you want me to do?" Brook Lynn asks annoyed. _

_ "Admit that you drugged me and go tell my girlfriend that so maybe she will believe that fact that I didn't cheat on her, that a drugged up dude who couldn't stand up straight did," Kendall tells her. _

_ "Sorry," Brook Lynn says. "I cant do that, but I really hope you enjoyed last night as much as I did,"_

Kendall then cant controls his anger. He punches the closest thing to him, which is a wall. After his fist makes contact with it, he drops it to his side and notices the dent he gave the wall. His mom was not going to be happy about that. But who cared?

He sure didn't. Gabi hated him right now, and he didn't blame her. She caught him with another girl and that had to break her heart and if it was the way she said it was like, it had to have been disgusting for her. He would definitely find it disgusting if he walked in on her and James or someone else in the same position.

He understood why she wouldn't listen to him when he said he needed to explain. He was going to tell her that he had no memory of that night, he woke up with a killer headache and that he was possibly drugged.

_Gabi looks at him again with her big brown eyes and Kendall meets her gaze, and for a moment, she feels some comfort. Something she hasn't felt in a while._

_She blinks and another tear falls from her eyes and Kendall slowly puts his hand to her face and wipes away the tear. There is an awkward silence between the two of them._

_That's when Kendall slowly moves his lips towards hers and he kisses her gently. _

_Gabi doesn't try to stop it. She kisses him back putting her hand around his neck pulling him closer to her._

At times, it seemed like just yesterday everything was perfect and they were together and happy. At other times, it felt like that was a hundred years ago. Time was a funny thing, you picture your future a certain way and then it does the exact opposite just to spite you.

Kendall then walks over to the sofa in the living room and sits down and turns on the TV hoping that it will easily get his mind off of Gabi.

'And in other news, several shots were reported fired at Mandini's restaurant in Hollywood earlier today, it was in the act of a drive by shooting, no suspect is in custody yet, but the police and witnesses have confirmed that the main target was Marshall Mathers The Third, better known as his stage name Eminem or Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady. Mr. Mathers had not been shot. A friend who was with him saw the car coming with the gun and quickly tackled Marshall out of the line of fire but also got shot herself, that person is confirmed to be Gabriella McCoy, better known as Gabi, a signed artist at Rocque Records who is a close friend of Marshall, she is currently at St. Sebastian's hospital where her condition is unknown, but if she didn't push Marshall out of the line of fire, he would definitely be dead by now,'

"Oh my god,"


	11. Chapter 11

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 11

Gabi opens her eyes slowly and then closes them due to the sudden light. After a moment, she opens them again and lets the sudden brightness in as she tries to remember what happened and where she is.

Last thing she can remember was talking with Marshall about if there was any chance she could get out of her Rocque Records contract, he was going to call his lawyer who he said was a great one, he got him out of that ten million dollar law suit with his mom after his first album came out. Then a black car. What was with the black car?

That's when it comes to her, the barrel of the gun, the car slowing down near Marshall. Her sprinting towards Marshall. The gunshots.

She was in the hospital. Did that mean she was shot? The last time she was in a hospital was in a hospital was almost a year ago when she found out that she lost her unborn baby girl because she went into that coma after she was hit on the head with that ax handle. Well, she wasn't pregnant now, so her being there couldn't be worse then what she went through. She wouldn't be told that she had a miscarriage; nothing could be worse then that.

Gabi looks up and notices that her room was filled with cards and some flowers. Who would send her flowers? She had no friends, the one person who cared about her most knew that she hated his guts and never wanted to see him again, not even if he was the last person on earth. And the one person she really cared about was dead.

So why would her room be filled with flowers. Is it because she took a bullet for Marshall, his fans were thanking her because Marshall was still alive and could rap again and put out another album and be able to share his gift with the world. His gift of being a lyrical genius and an amazing rapper. Were people happy she got shot instead of him? the way the shooting look and sounded, Marshall definitely wouldn't be alive. The shooter would have blown him away and fast, leaving, Hailie, Lainey and Whitney without a dad. So, she did what she had to do, take a bullet for him. she survived, no harm done. She just had a cool scare.

But where did the bullet enter? Did it hit one of her internal organs? Would she have to have some sort of surgery?

At that moment, the door opens to her hospital room and Josh walks in. wow… she was barely conscious for over a minute and already she wanted to punch somebody in the face. that was a new record.

"what the hell were you thinking?" Josh asks her mad as he walks over to her bedside.

Gabi looks at him confused for a moment.

"what?"

"are you insane McCoy, because if you are, I need to know," Josh replies mad.

"what did I do that was so insane?" Gabi asks as she sits up a little, but then puts her hand to her stomach in pain as she feels the stitches that were there pull.

"ok, you must be insane if you don't see what you did as INSANE," Josh says still mad.

Gabi roles her eyes annoyed. Was he really going to be mad at her for saving Marshall's life? Knowing him, he would.

"you jumped in front of a bullet," Josh says mad.

"Marshall would have been killed," Gabi says getting mad at her stupid manager.

"Marshall is a forty year old rapper from 8 Mile, Detroit, shootouts were daily things for the guy," Josh says madder. "he can watch out for himself, he doesn't need some stupid gothic girl shoving him out of the line of fire, he grew up dodging bullets for a living, that is normal four him,"

"Marshall didn't mess with guns in 8 Mile while he was a teenager," Gabi says mad. "that was a sure way to get yourself killed, he only battled,"

"battled?" Josh says confused.

"Rap battled," Gabi says getting madder. "Its what he did, how he got where he is today, underground rap battles, free styling it, coming up with it on the spot, spitting it in their face, dissing your opponent before he can diss you, being a lyrical genius,"

"ok, Gabi, Marshall is a forty year old rapper who has lived life the hard way, he married the same girl twice, has only one biological daughter, he was addicted to pain killers in his earlier days, he went to rehab for an addiction with sleeping pills," Josh says mad. "he got drunk and got a tattoo with his ex wives name on it saying to rot in pieces, Marshall can look out for himself, one or two bullets isn't going to hurt him, he is a five foot eight two hundred pound adult while you are a five foot two, hundred and ten pound teenager girl,"

"Marshall was the gunman's target," Gabi says raising her voice and getting madder by the second "if someone didn't knock him out of the line of fire, he would be dead with twenty bullets in him, he has three daughters, they need their father to grow up,"

"McCoy, Marshall is a grown man, he doesn't need you watching out for him," Josh yells at her. "he can fend for himself, he is a grown man,"

Gabi then grabs one of the pillows on her bed and just chucks it at him.

"get out," she says mad. "get the hell out of here,"

"I am just telling you the truth McCoy," Josh tells her. "you need to face it, Marshall doesn't need you, he probably thinks of you as some whiney teenage girl who he made a mistake recording a song with,"

"just get out," Gabi says mad. "get out of here, I don't want to see you right now,"

"just telling you the truth," Josh tells her. "You need to fix up your image and change your personality, you are crazy, and you don't jump in front of bullets for rappers,"

"I said get out," Gabi says mad. "get out of my hospital room or your fired,"

"you cant fire me, I am under contract," Josh tells her mad.

"I will sue you for verbal abuse," Gabi says as she glares at him. "now get out,"

"the world would be a better place without Marshall Mathers," Josh tells her before walking out of the hospital room.

Gabi then lies down in her hospital bed all the way and takes a deep breath and lets it out. She still had no clue what her condition was. Just that she took a bullet for Marshall.

At that moment, the door opens again.

"go away," Gabi says annoyed without looking to see who it is.

"Sorry, Ms. McCoy, I am nurse Nadine Crowell," a nurse says as she walks in with a bouquet of white tiger lilies. "I am just here to deliver these flowers that were sent,"

Gabi sits up again and looks at the nurse who holds the bouquet of flowers.

Gabi opens the door to her apartment at the Palm Woods to see Kendall standing there. She instantly smiles as she sees him.

_"hey," she says._

_"hey," Kendall says casually._

_He then hands her s single white tiger lily. _

_"a beautiful flower for the most beautiful girl in the world,"_

"who sent them?" Gabi asks annoyed.

She already knew who sent them. A white tiger lily was always the flower Kendall gave her.

"I don't know, it doesn't have a card," Nurse Crowell tells her.

"who dropped them off? did you see him?" Gabi asks.

"yeah, the guy was pacing the hallway not to far from your room, looked like he was debating on whether or not to come in and give them to you himself," Nurse Crowell tells her.

"what did this guy look like?" Gabi asks her.

"tall, about your age, dirty blonde hair, eyebrows," Nurse Crowell tells her. "he seemed really concerned about you,"

Gabi takes a deep breath. Wow…he seemed to really not get the message that she did not want to see him or talk to him ever again. She caught him cheating she ended their relationship.

"so, Ms. McCoy, where would you like me to put the flowers?" Nurse Crowell asks her.

"do me a favor, soak them in bleach and pound them with a mallet," Gabi tells her.


	12. Chapter 12

Animal I Have Become  
Chapter 12

Nurse Crowell just looks at her confused and shocked from what Gabi had just said.

"excuse me?" she asks her confused.

"do me a favor by soaking those flowers in bleach and pounding them with a mallet," Gabi says again like it was nothing. Like she just told her what time it was or that her favorite color was purple.

"you want me…you want me to soak these flowers in bleach and then pound them with a mallet?" Nurse Crowell asks her.

"yeah," Gabi says. "that would be awesome,"

Nurse Crowell just looks at her confused.

"um…may I ask why?" she asks her confused.

"it's a personal thing," Gabi says.

Nurse Crowell then puts the flowers down on one of the tables in the room and walks over to her bedside.

"sometimes, its easier to talk to a person you don't know about personal stuff," Nurse Crowell tells her.

Gabi just looks at her mad. What was with people and wanting to know her business.

"sometimes, its easier to talk to people that you don't know that well about personal stuff," Nurse Crowell tells her.

_"are you sure everything is ok?" Kendall asks her. "you seem kind of distant,"_

_Gabi looks down and notices she still has her hand on her stomach and quickly puts it down to her side._

_"I am fine," Gabi lies. "everything is fine,"_

_Kendall looks at her for a second. For a moment, Gabi hopes he can see through her lies, so she could tell someone everything._

_"are you sure?" he asks her one more time._

_Gabi takes a deep breath._

_"no, everything is actually not ok," she says. "there is something that is bothering me, and it is bothering me like crazy,"_

_"I know you don't know me as well as you could, but sometimes its easier to talk to someone you don't know about personal stuff," Kendall tells her._

that was the day Gabi almost told Kendall for the first time about her past. What Justin did to her and about Hailie Jade growing in her stomach. But she was interrupted with the news that Dante was dead.

Gabi just looks at Nurse Crowell as tears fall from her brown eyes as that memory comes back. Kendall said the exact same thing to her over a year ago right after they were on the Ellen Show and he could tell that something was wrong, she was distant. The day before she found out she was pregnant.

And why did that stupid nurse want to know? Sure, she might just be nice but Gabi hated even thinking about what happened between them. It made her want to punch something and get her anger out.

_ Gabi walks down the hallway at the Palm Woods and goes over to apartment 2J and knocks. There was no answer so she knocked again. After thirty seconds there was still no answer._

_ That was odd. Gabi was supposed to meet Kendall at his place when she got back from the studio. She and Griffin and Gustavo discussed a music video for either Nobody's Home or My World, she was leaning towards My World and she had the choice, she just had to make it by tomorrow, So Gabi grabs her phone out of her bag and flips it open to check the time to see if she was early or not. No, it was eight PM, the time she was supposed to meet him. maybe he just didn't hear the door, so she slowly opens the door and walks in. after a few steps she notices two people over on the sofa making out. One was a brunette with tan skin and she was straddling the guy and she didn't have her shirt on, only her bra._

_ Gabi is about to turn around to leave, embarrassed by the situation that she walked in on. James with some girl, but before she turned around, she notices the guy isn't James. He had blonde hair. No one here had blonde hair except for Kendall. _

_ That's when Gabi sees it, the guy kissing the girl on the sofa who wasn't wearing a shirt, was Kendall._

"I don't want to talk about it," Gabi tells her. "and I never want to,"

"are you sure…?"

"yeah, I'm sure," Gabi interrupts her. "I am sure and I don't ever want to talk about it, so don't ask, anyway, if I talk to you about, who says its not going to be in the text Pop Tiger magazine, the press is just itching to figure out what happened,"

"the press?" Nurse Crowell says confused. She then gets a better look at her face. "oh, your that pop singer from Rocque Records,"

"ex pop singer," Gabi corrects her. "and I would love to change the subject, so why don't you just tell me the damage that was caused when I was shot,"

Nurse Crowell then nods.

"Um…the bullet entered your abdomen and went straight through your liver and kidney and ricocheted to your spleen," she tells her. "Dr. Drake, the surgeon who performed the surgery fixed the damage to your liver, but your kidney and spleen had to much damage and they were removed, as for your kidney, you had two of them, so when you get older, just don't drink a lot of alcohol, as for the spleen, nothing will really change,"

"is that all?" Gabi asks her.

"yes," Nurse Crowell tells her.

"then do me a favor and leave so I can get some rest, I was just shot," Gabi says.

Nurse Crowell then nods, understanding that Gabi didn't want her in there.

"ok, I will see you later Ms. McCoy,"

Nurse Crowell then walks out of the room, leaving Gabi in there by herself.


	13. Chapter 13

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 13

As soon as Nurse Crowell leaves the room, Gabi lies back down to try and get some rest. She really needed it, she had her kidney and spleen removed do to get shot. She got shot to protect Marshall from twenty bullets that were gonna get shot at him. no one can really survive twenty gunshot wounds. Even if they were in non-fatal places like the arm or hand. He would definitely bleed to death with all those holes in his body leaking his blood to the sidewalk.

And because she took a bullet for Marshall, her stupid manager, Josh, yelled at her calling her insane and that a bullet isn't going to hurt Marshall, he is a forty year old rapper who can take a bullet without getting seriously injured like she did. She didn't need to jump in front of bullets for rappers. That Marshall didn't even want her in his life, wishes he never even started being friends with her and record Love The Way You Lie. That he has messed up so much like marrying Kim twice, his sleeping pill addiction, the tattoo he got while drunk, he had three daughters and only one was biologically his, that the world would be a better place without him.

That was just cold. Marshall may have made mistakes when he was younger, like pistol whipping that one guy, getting addicted to drugs, alcohol, Kim got pregnant when she was a teenager, failed the ninth grade three times, the tattoo of a gravestone that said Kim and Rot In Pieces, stealing. All that stuff happened to him because his mom was a drug addict and his dad left when he was only a few months old. Of course, now that he was famous, he came out into the spotlight and claimed that he had no clue Marshall was even born, and that was proved wrong when a photograph of his father holding him as a baby surfaced and was put in his autobiography The Way I Am.

She took a bullet for him to save his life, if he wasn't pushed out of the line of fire, he would definitely be gone right now. That did not make her insane, no matter what her stupid manager said to her.

There is another knock at the door.

"go away," Gabi calls out annoyed.

After talking to Josh and that stupid Nurse Crowell, Gabi definitely did not want to talk to or see anybody right now.

Obviously, the person on the other side of the door didn't get that and knocks again.

"I said go away," Gabi calls out again annoyed.

She just leans her head back and stares at the ceiling trying to get her mind off everything and think about something else. Go off in own world and go to when times were simpler like when she was younger and Dante was still alive and home.

And he just had to die on her after he joined the Marines.

_Fifteen-year-old Gabi walks through the front door of her home back in Brinnon with her book bag at her side and her blonde hair in a high ponytail. She walks down in the hallway to the kitchen to see twenty year old Dante sitting there waiting for her. _

_ "hey Dante," Gabi says casually as she puts her book bag on the counter and grabs a red apple out of the fridge._

_ "G, I need to tell you something," Dante tells her seriously._

_ Gabi looks at him and can tell that it is really serious so she walks over to the table and takes a seat across from him. _

_ "ok, what's going on?" Gabi asks him. "you look like you just saw a someone get hit by a bus,"_

_ Dante takes a deep breath and lets it out. _

_ "you know I love you right," Dante tells her. "you are my baby sister,"_

_ "yeah, I know that," Gabi replies. "but what's this about,"_

_ "Gabi, my unit has been called up," Dante tells her. "I am being deployed to Iraq,"_

Gabi then wipes her eyes and presses that memory to the back of her mind. She did not need to remember that now.

The knock on the door continues.

"what part of go freaking away don't you understand," Gabi calls out annoyed.

After a moment, the door opens and someone walks in. Gabi continues to stare at the ceiling before sitting up.

"I said to…" Gabi says as she sits up, but she stops mid sentence when she realizes who walked into her hospital room.

Kendall.

"I will give you ten seconds to turn around and leave before I start yelling at you,"

Kendall just stands there and looks at her before speaking.

"can we please just talk?" he asks her.

"ten…nine…eight…" Gabi counts down annoyed as she glares at him.

"I just want to explain what happened, you never gave me the chance," Kendall says to her.

"five…four…three…" Gabi continues to countdown.

"you need to know that I love you and I would never cheat on you," Kendall says.

Gabi just glares at him.

"do you honestly except me to believe that?" she asks him mad. "do you, because I know what I saw and I saw you with another girl, and it was disgusting,"

"will you just let me tell you what happened?" Kendall asks her.

"no, because I know what happened," Gabi says mad. "I walked in on you and her making out, your hands were all over her, and you think it's a coincidence this happened a week after I told you I wasn't ready to go all the way yet, you said you were fine with it, you didn't want to pressure me into something I didn't want to do, and I thought that you meant good by that, that you would wait for me to be ready, but instead you go behind my back with some slut to get it,"

"that is not what happened," Kendall tells her.

"it is what happened, I know what I saw and it hurt me Kendall," Gabi says mad in tears. "it hurt me worse then any of the beatings Justin gave me in the year I dated him and let him do that to me, it hurt worse then my own mom disowning me and telling me she would only believe me if I got the abortion, it hurt as bad as finding out Dante was dead and killed in a freaking explosion, and it hurt as bad as losing my unborn daughter, I felt betrayed, you said you loved me and that you would love me forever, and I am new to this whole love thing, but I know from reading romance novels and enough Daytime television, that when a guy loves a girl, he doesn't cheat on her,"

"Gabs, will you just listen to me," Kendall says.

"no, I will not," Gabi says getting madder. "just get out and leave, I don't want to see you ever again, you understand that, and don't ever call me Gabs again, I want you out of my life and to stay the hell away from me,"

"Gabs, please," Kendall starts.

"I said get the hell out and get the hell away from me," Gabi says mad. "do I need to throw something at you to get you out of here and leave me alone, because I will,"

"just will you listen to my side of what happened, let me explain to you what happened," Kendall says. "then, if you want, I will leave you alone forever, I will never come near you again,"

"you don't need to," Gabi says mad. "the girl you were with, she came to my apartment two days after I caught you guys, she told me everything, that right after I told you I wasn't ready, you came to her, you talked about me and then she said she could help you with your problem, and that you two have been sleeping together ever since,"

"Gabi, that is not what happened, will you please just listen to me," Kendall says.

"no I wont," Gabi says mad sitting up in her hospital ignoring the pulling pain of her stitches in her stomach where she had been shot. "now get out,"

Kendall just looks at her and can tell she is still hurt by this. He then turns around and walks out of her hospital room. As soon as he is gone, Gabi just collapses back in the hospital bed and lets the tears flow out of her eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

Animal I Have Become  
Chapter 14

Gabi throws the rest of the get-well cards and stuff into her black bag. She had been in the hospital for two weeks until she finally was released and told she could go home. During her stay there, she continues to get mass amounts of cards and letters from her and Marshall's fans, some saying that they were happy she pushed Marshall out of the line of fire, some saying that she shouldn't have risked her own life for him, and then there was the occasional ones telling her she should have let him 'get blown to smithereens, he causes way to much controversy and is a evil politic republican and women hater, homophobic, SOB that deserves to die in a hail of gunfire, and Proof should have died a long painful death,' and 'you just had to survive, didn't you? No one wants you around, you should have jumped straight in front of the bullet and let it kill you by piercing your stupid flesh and blasting a hole through your stupid, cold, black heart,'

She had a feeling some of those were from either Josh or Justin who is off in prison waiting for his trial.

Marshall and his daughter Hailie went back to her place to get her a change of clothes, everything had to be Marshall approved, which meant he would let his daughters wear it, so she had a pair of black jeans, converse, and her old Evanescence t-shirt.

She was just happy to get out of the hospital, she still was pist that Kendall sent her those tiger lilies and showed up to try to explain what happened. It must be the guilt of getting caught with that girl. It still made Gabi feel sick to her stomach to think about it and Kendall still apparently had feelings for her, that he still loved her. and again, Gabi knew that when a guy loves a girl and claims that she is the most beautiful girl in the world and to him she is beautiful and perfect in everyway, if any of that was true she never would have caught him with that girl in such a compromising position.

But, couples have been able to work past that stuff. Cheating and being unfaithful. You hear about that all the time and the couples get past that. it was one mistake, the one person regrets it more then anything in the world.

But was that just some stupid soap opera thing? Couples that were so good together got through this stuff. Like Jason and Sam, Patrick and Robin, Nikolas and Emily, Brody and Jessica, John and Natalie, Nathan and Haley, Rex and Gigi, Luke and Laura. But then again, other great couples didn't get through that like Spinelli and Maxie, Lucas and Brooke, Sonny and Carly, Johnny and Lulu. Johnny and Lulu went through hell together after Lulu killed Logan in self defense and Johnny took the rap for it, which ended up resulting in him getting arrested and them going on the run together. It took just one time for him to break Lulu's heart.

But on the other hand, Jason cheated on Sam with Elizabeth multiple times and it broke her heart, but the two found there way back to each other, they went through Hell together with her getting shot by his rival mobsters and them getting in constant shootouts.

Who knew? There could be a reasonable explanation for what happened. Oh great, now she was starting to sound like Kristina every time she was hit by Kiefer, finding a way to justify his actions, knowing that he was really a good person deep down, he just didn't have a good home life.

Gabi then grabs the last card off one of the many tables in the room. When she turns around, she sees a man standing in the doorway wearing camouflage like all those soldiers wear when they are in battle. She hasn't seen anyone in that kind of getup since she found out Dante died.

_Gabi is interrupted by noticing Griffin walking over to them followed by a guy who is wearing camouflage and looks like he is in the military. He has tan skin and dark brown hair and looks just like Dante did when he was deployed._

_Kendall notices she is looking at them and he looks too._

_"there she is Sergeant," Griffin tells him._

_"thank you," the man says. he then looks straight at Gabi._

_"Are you Gabriella Grace McCoy?" he asks her._

_Gabi looks back at him nervous too afraid to answer that question._

_Military officers never came in person unless they had to notify a family member of someone in the military if their family member was missing or dead._

_"yeah, I am," Gabi replies nervous. Her heart is racing in her chest._

_At the moment, she totally would take the pregnancy and everything that came with it, she just wanted Dante to be ok. That's all that mattered to her right now. The safety of her big brother. She would marry Justin right now and take every beating from him if it meant Dante would be safe right now and alive._

_"Ms. McCoy, I am Sergeant Tanner with the United States Marines," he says to her. "and I am here to inform you on new information regarding your brother, Dante Ryan McCoy,"_

_ok, new information, that didn't mean he was dead. Exactly. For all she knew they could have arrested him for being a terrorist. Not that Dante was a terrorist. That is the last thing he do, but maybe it was better then being dead. Maybe he was mistaken for a terrorist. Yeah, that sounded stupid, but Gabi couldn't help but hope that he was ok overseas._

_"Ms. McCoy, I am sorry to inform you that yesterday, Dante's helicopter was shot down by an unknown plane," Sergeant Tanner tells her. "there were no survivors,"_

Gabi's memory is then interrupted when the guy clears his throat to get her attention.

"can I help you?" Gabi asks him.

"are you Miss Gabriella Grace McCoy?" the man asks her.

"what's it to you?" Gabi asks as she crosses her arms.

"my name is Lieutenant George Simpson," the man tells her. "I am with the United States Marines, now, are you Gabriella Grace McCoy?"

"maybe, what is this about?" Gabi asks him annoyed.

"your brother, Dante Ryan McCoy," Lieutenant Simpson says to her.

"Dante has been dead over a year now," Gabi responds. "what is this about?"

"when your brother's helicopter went down, he was put down as a K.I.A," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"and that is….?" Gabi says annoyed.

"Killed in action," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"Yeah, his arms were blown out of there sockets in the explosion which were recovered and the fingerprints were confirmed his," Gabi replies still annoyed.

"well, Miss McCoy, that is why I am here," Lieutenant Simpson tells her. "the United States Marines had made a mistake,"

Gabi looks at him confused. What in the world did he mean by mistake. The Marines didn't just make mistakes. They were hard-core. They were the marines for crying out loud.

"what do you mean by mistake?" Gabi asks him nervous.

"we got an anonymous phone call requesting that we re-run the prints, so we did," Lieutenant Simpson tells her. "we did, and they weren't a match,"

Gabi just looks at him shocked.

"what are you trying to say?" she asks him nervous.

"we think your brother might still be alive,"


	15. Chapter 15

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 15

Gabi just takes in those words, how many times she had wished Dante had survived and was still out there somewhere and going to find his way home again to be there for her during the tough stuff she was going through. The death of her unborn daughter, every single thing Justin had put her through, being heartbroken over catching Kendall with another girl. He told her that Kendall was the one who cared about her.

Wait a second…if Dante was alive, he could have never told her that. then that means she never saw him that time, which means she was going crazy after his death. she saw someone who wasn't there, she had a conversation with a dead person who wasn't really dead. How the heck did that even make sense? She talked to someone who wasn't dead, but he said he was dead and not going to see her again until her time came. So, she talked to a guy she thought was dead and seeing his spirit but it turns out, that the guy was really alive. How did that even make sense? How did that even work?

Wait. For all she knew this guy wasn't with the U.S Marines or it was a mistake when they reran the fingerprints. This didn't seem real. How the hell did the U.S Marine's make a mistake when identifying remains. Don't they like run the DNA tests to confirm the identity of the remains? Why was she even calling Dante remains. He wasn't remains, he was a person who had a life, who had a heart, who had a soul, a personality. Why was she calling her own brother 'remains.' Nothing made sense anymore though, she had black hair, her nose was pierced, she was practically gothic or emo, she caught Kendall with another girl, she was writing stuff that went 'I don't give a damn, I don't give a damn what you think about that,' not her usual like the song she wrote just after performing Love The Way You Lie with Marshall, Hold, 'cause I need, I need a hand to hold, to hold me from the edge, the edge I'm sliding over slow, cause I need, I need your hand to hold, to hold me from the edge, the edge I'm sliding past hold on to me,' she was always in a bitchy mood. She never wanted to see anyone, the only person she talked to daily was her stupid manager Josh, and so since nothing was making sense anymore, why not refer to the only person that ever cared about her 'remains' that just seemed to fit the situation.

"how is that…how is that possible?" Gabi asks him still trying to make sense of this.

"it was a screw up with the lab," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"a screw up with you're lab?" Gabi says mad. "a screw up with your lab? You guys are the freaking U.S Marines, you don't make screw ups with your lab testing on identifying remains of dead soldiers, you don't inform a family until you are freaking sure, you don't just make mistakes,"

"Miss McCoy…" Lieutenant starts.

"your lab made me think that the only person out there who ever gave a damn about my existence is dead," Gabi says mad.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"Sorry for any inconvenience, you are telling me that your freaking lab screwed up with identifying the remains, making me think that my older brother, my hero, Dante is dead," Gabi says mad.

Man, this was giving her such a headache. Dante was alive, she was possibly going insane because she saw someone who wasn't there while the person was really still alive. That she had an hallucination. It was probably from the stress she had at the time though. She just got away from a boy who beat her up like an old potato as she says it, she just found out she was pregnant with that guys baby after he raped her not to long before that, and he then recently was given the news that Dante 'died' she was trying to deal with everything that recently happened. That was probably a logical explanation. Mental illness never ran in her family, so hopefully it was just stress and a way for her mind to deal with the fact that he was 'dead'

"if Dante…if Dante isn't dead, then is he…is he still in the area where the helicopter exploded?" Gabi asks him. "you guys need to go back to see if you can find him, he could be out there, alone,"

"Miss McCoy, its been over a year," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"yeah, but he is a trained U.S Marine, we are talking about a guy that learned how to start a fire with two rocks when he was eight years old, he can survive out alone like that, Dante is trained and he is a fighter," Gabi argues. "he could still be out there alive, you guys have to go back and find him, you have to do something, he is missing, and alive and out there,"

"Miss McCoy, the area has been combed through over and over and over again since the explosion and crash," Lieutenant Simpson replies. "if he was out there, we would have found something,"

"so, what, now you are telling me he's dead again after you told me and gave me hope that he is still alive?" Gabi asks mad. "will you just get your story straight?"

"No, we said we didn't find anything," Lieutenant Simpson.

"so then what are you telling me?" Gabi asks mad. "I would love it if you would get to the point and tell me where the hell my brother is, because I want to know,"

"Miss McCoy, we have certain information that can place your brother somewhere," Lieutenant Simpson tells her.

"great, now tell me," Gabi says getting madder.

She just had to know where Dante was, where her older brother was. She just needed to know.

"we have…we have reasons to believe that your brother…that Dante is being held prisoner in an Iraqi war camp,"


	16. Chapter 16

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 16

At the moment these words are being written, there is exactly six billion, eight hundred and sixty six million, nine hundred and fifty one thousand, six hundred and fifty three people on this earth. Well, alive that is. There are six billion, eight hundred and sixty million, nine hundred and fifty one thousand, and six hundred and fifty three souls living on our planet. Over six billion people trying to live there lives and be themselves. Over six billion people trying to survive. Over six billion people that need the simple things like food and water to survive. They shelter they need to keep warm. Coming in contact with a living creature so they don't go insane.

Some of those six billion people live in Europe. Some of then live in North or South America, some Australia, some in Africa and Asia, and the occasional ones who live in Antarctica.

Some of those people have good lives, they live in houses, they go to school, they have families, they participate in sports and other activities, and they eat meals and shower daily. They are blessed with the essentials while others, while others have none of that. They have no family, or a house, they don't go to school, or play sports, they are unable to eat and shower daily. They don't have the essentials.

This world we live in, it is a very cruel place. Some people can see that while other people cant. Some people can see the awful things that go on here, they can see the terrible acts of murder that some commit, they can see the awful acts of terrisom that some commit, and they can also see the terrible, awful things that happen over seas in Africa and the Middle East. They know about that. They know about the killing that goes on over there, all the shootouts and explosions, they know everything, they know every single detail on what happens over there in those areas. The constant wars Africa is having. The constant suicide bombing and shootouts going on all over the place in Iraq. Africa and the Middle East are two of the most dangerous places to go. You never know what's gonna happen.

A terrorist could see you and if they knew you were an American, you were as good as dead to them. They wanted nothing more then to kill everyone in the world who wasn't part of there religion, if you weren't Muslim, they would kill you, it was part of their way of life, kill anyone who wasn't there religion, its one of the reason they were terrorists anyway.

Is that really what's right to fight over? Is it really worth losing lives of innocent people? Is it really worth the death of many soldiers?

Many soldiers who were trained to go out there and fight, even though sometimes it was a stupid problem not worth losing your life over. These soldiers were brave; they all didn't make it back alive. There were three options of endings for these soldiers who are over seas and fight for our safety.

One, they return home. There mental state could go either way, from shocked and scared to confident and heroic.

Two, they die. They die from getting shot, caught in an explosion, being sick, or having an infection to a wound hit their blood stream. They die fighting for what's right or fighting for their country. And that of course makes them a war hero.

And option number three. They become a prisoner of war.

Gabi McCoy stares at the computer screen in front of her. Only thing on her mind, her older brother Dante. Prisoner of war, that was hard to even think about. You didn't really hear about those anymore. Some people don't even think they exist anymore. That it was only something that happened in movies, TV and books.

To think that would be wrong.

The computer screen in front of Gabi displayed search results for what she previously had typed in. 'prisoners of war Iraq.' She sees a bunch of results talking about the prisoners that were captured in 2003, results for one war prison that used to exist in Iraq but was shut down and abandoned in 2002. Some results were just awful pictures she couldn't stand to look at or even think if Dante was in that situation, the rest of the results were websites talking about prisons over seas where the U.S kept prisoners.

There was nothing on U.S soldiers being held over there by the Iraqi government or any terrorist group. But Gabi knew Dante was out there. They had not found a body or remains. That area had been combed through over and over and over again. If he had survived he would have wandered to find some source of civilization, he would have found his way back to the base or he would have died out there doing one of those and they would have found a body.

So Dante had to be alive.

The Marines told Gabi that there was nothing they could do. The area had been searched numerous times and nothing could be found. The troops were now leaving Iraq; they can't go searching for some underground war camp where the Iraqi people keep American soldiers they captured that know one even knew existed.

There was no way the government was going to help. Dante was stuck there. But was there anything she could do?

Gabi quickly then clocks the Google icon on the favorites bar a the top of the window and it quickly takes her to the Google homepage where she types in 'How To Save A Prisoner Of War In Iraq'

Nothing came up except for articles about old attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gabi keeps looking though, she is on the fourth page of results when something catches her eye. An link to an article where it talks about one man, Joseph Bowman, who was captured in an attack on the enemy in 2003, the government knew it was happening and he was being held prisoner, they didn't do anything, so the family of the soldier got a lawyer and got someone of high power and he helped by going into Iraq and negotiated and got the person back.

Is that even possible? Well…Bill Clinton did get those two reporters out of Korea after they were sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. But that cost a lot to even get the lawyer and go through all that, and according to Josh, her stupid manager, CD sales have only gone down because of her new image, and she couldn't fire him because apparently he was under contract.

Gabi then glances to a folder on her coffee table Josh had previously dropped off, it had the song information in it. She was supposed to be at the studio tomorrow to work on recording Before The Storm, but Josh knew that she wasn't going to show up. She wouldn't go because Kendall was there.

Gabi then puts her laptop down on the coffee table and grabs the folder before flipping it open and reads about what Gustavo and Griffin are going to do, record the song, release it as a single and she and Kendall would split fifty percent of the money from the song.

Fifty percent, well, twenty-five, but still, it was money, and if it could somehow help Dante overseas, then, it was what she had to do. Even if it meant being in a confined space with Kendall singing a song she didn't want to. She had to do it. She had to do it for Dante.


	17. Chapter 17

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 17

Gustavo walks into the studio the next day. Kendall is sitting down while Gabi's annoying manager Josh is just standing there leaning against the wall.

"Ok, what are the odds she will show up?" Gustavo asks Josh.

"Well, she hasn't spoken to me since I told her she was insane for taking a bullet for a forty year old rapper who is used to gun fire, and in his own movie shot himself," Josh starts.

"It was Cheddar Bob that shot himself," Kendall interrupts without looking up. "Not B Rabbit, it was Cheddar Bob,"

Gustavo and Josh just turn and look at him.

"Cheddar who?" Gustavo says confused.

"It doesn't matter," Josh says interrupting him "its just some stupid movie about dudes growing up on the streets that rap and hate each other so the beat each other up,"

"Ok, so, again, what are her chances of showing up?" Gustavo says.

"Again, she hasn't spoken to me since I called her insane for jumping in front of a bullet meant for some rap star who probably deserved getting shot after all the controversy he has caused with him being a homophobic abuser who hates the government, in half his songs he kills someone, and half of those half are his ex wife who he married twice," Josh says.

"Ok, I don't need a biography on this Marshall guy, just tell me the chances," Gustavo says annoyed.

"About as likely as Michael Jackson coming back to life," Josh tells him. "And then moonwalking in this room, and then running over a sack of puppies, then that road warrior from Criminal Minds coming in here and doing the chicken dance before making out with that lamp,"

Gustavo just looks at him annoyed.

"Highly unlikely," Josh tells him. "And you know what, I blame Marshall for this, if he never offered to record Love The Way You Lie with her this never would have happened,"

"Well, Gustavo gave her permission to record the song with him," Kendall says speaking up.

Josh looks to Gustavo shocked.

"You gave her permission to record the song with him?" Josh asks him mad.

"Yes, he did," Kendall says.

"and you thought it would be good for her reputation to let her record a song with Marshall Mathers, knowing his reputation?" Josh asks him annoyed. "you let her record a song with a homophobic, abusive, government hating gang banger?"

"actually, Gustavo had no clue who he was," Kendall says.

"how could you not know who Marshall Mathers is?" Josh says confused.

"well he didn't," Kendall says as he stands up and walks over to them "he didn't even recognize him rapping lyrics to My Name Is, The Real Slim Shady, The Way I Am, Cleaning Out My Closet, Without Me, and Lose Yourself,"

"wait, he rapped for you and you didn't recognize him?" Josh says. "how could you not recognize Not Afraid?"

"that song wasn't released yet when Marshall showed up," Kendall tells him.

"didn't you recognize the tattoos?" Josh asks him. "who else has a tattoo of his wives name on a gravestone along with the words 'Rot In Pieces'?"

"well, he didn't have his shirt off, and he had a hoodie on, hiding all his tattoos," Kendall says. "so, Gustavo couldn't see his tattoos,"

"hey, does it really matter what tattoos this guy has?" Gustavo barks annoyed. "lets just get back to the subject,"

"yeah, and Gustavo had no idea who Eminem even was," Kendall says.

"you had no idea who he was and you let Gabi record a song with him," Josh says.

"yeah, that is pretty much what he did," Kendall answers him.

"ok, can we not discuss this right now?" Gustavo says getting mad.

Gabi walks down the hallway of Rocque Records in blue jeans and a black hoodie, with the hood up covering her hair.

_Catching Kendall with that girl, which hurt her more then any beating Justin gave her. so now, she sits on the sofa in her apartment at the Palm Woods wearing Dante's old backwards E Eminem t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. To get her mind off everything that was going on, she decided to watch a non-stop marathon of The Office. She was really hoping that Dwight being Dwightish would really help her get her mind off of it._

_'"ok, he's dead, does anybody know what we do next?" Dwight asks as he walks over to Michael and the CPR instructor on the TV screen. "anybody, Rose?"_

_"I have no idea," The CPR instructor replies to Dwight nervous. _

_"anyone else?" Dwight asks. _

_"we bury him," Phyllis answers him from where she is sitting in the room. _

_"eh…wrong," Dwight says. "check for an organ donor card, if he has one, we only have minutes to harvest,"_

_"he has no wallet, I checked," Creed says from where he is sitting._

_"he is an organ donor," Michael says improvising,_

_"he is?" Dwight asks. _

_"yes," Michael answers him. _

_"give me some ice and a styrophome bucket," Dwight replies as he bends down and roles up his left pant leg to reveal a knife strapped there._

_He quickly pulls it out._

"_here we go," he says as he holds the knife above his head._

_Dwight then swiftly stabs the CPR dummy in the chest and makes a long cut down his chest and ignores the rest of the room protesting him and shouting his name. _

_"we then search for the organs, where's the heart?" Dwight asks as he reaches into the hollow CPR dummy. _

_"I don't feel well, I need to sit down," Stanley says as he walks over to his seat annoyed at all the chaos Dwight is causing. _

_Michael then walks over to Stanley and helps him sit down. As soon as he turns around, Dwight also turns around from facing the wall and on his face is the face from the CPR dummy which he had cut off'_

_Gabi is interrupted from watching what happens next when she hears a knock on her door. She lets out a sigh before yelling out._

_"go away,"_

_she then tries to focus on the TV watching everyone freak out at Dwight because of the dummies face over his face._

_she hears a knock at the door again._

_"I said go away," she calls out annoyed again before trying to refocus on Dwight doing something stupid on the TV screen. _

_The knock continues. _

_"unless you are my dead big brother coming back from the dead to tell me everything in the past year and a half has been all a dream and I am really home in Washington State walking in the rain, go away," Gabi calls out again._

_"listen girl, you can either open this front door or I will kick it in," a female voice calls from the other side door. "if you open it, you wont have to pay to get it fixed McCoy,"_

_Gabi then grabs the remote and pauses the TV just as the scene goes from Dwight scaring everyone to him and Michael having a meeting with corporate. She then stands up and goes over to the door and opens it only to come face to face with a brunette with tan skin who looks way to familiar. _

_"I will give you ten seconds to leave before I claw your eyes out and stab you with a fork," Gabi says as she crosses her arms. _

_Standing in front of her was Brook Lynn._

_"wow…is that really the way to be talking to your replacement?" Brook Lynn asks her in her thick New York accent. More of a Bensonhurst accent. _

_Brook Lynn just glares at Gabi with her dark eyes and Gabi just glares back with her equally dark eyes. _

_"go to hell," Gabi says._

_she then tries to slam the door in Brook Lynn's face but Brooke Lynn puts her hand in the way and stops it from swinging. _

_"you don't want to do that," Brook Lynn says coldly._

_Gabi just glares back at her. it took all her self-control not to punch Brook Lynn in the face right now, but she remembered that this girl probably is here to get a reaction out of her and she didn't want to give her what she wanted, plus, she knew no guy was worth an assault charge. _

_"ok, what are you doing here?" Gabi asks her annoyed. _

_"I can tell that Kendall has been trying to get you to listen to him," Brook Lynn says. "the nonstop flowers he has been sending you,"_

_"if that is what you're here about, then go away, I have better things to do then talk to sluts who sleep with other peoples boyfriends," Gabi says. "I have a seven hour Office marathon that isn't going to watch itself,"_

_"oh yeah, I better let you get back to that, maybe I should go to the store and get you another gallon tub of ice cream, I can tell you have been eating a lot lately," Brook Lynn says. "you know, there is a gym here at the Palm Woods, and some people find it calming to exercise and run a mile or two, or ten,"_

_Gabi just glares back not letting her get a reaction. _

_"ok, what are you doing here besides calling me fat and flaunting the fact that you slept with my boyfriend in my face," Gabi asks her. _

_"I just want you to know the full story of what happened," Brook Lynn tells her. "just want to let you know what really happened, that right after you told him you weren't ready to go all the way with him, he really wanted to so he ran into me at the pool and we talked about his problem, I told him I could fix it, and ever since then, we have been sleeping together behind your back,"_

Gabi opens up the door to the room with the recording booth in it and walks in it. she then unzips her black hoodie and takes it off revealing her turquoise tank top underneath. It also reveals her hair is back to being wavy and blonde, not straight and black and red.

Gustavo, Josh and Kendall just look at her shocked. She changed her appearance back to her old self, she didn't even have her nose ring in anymore.

"I'm here, let's work on recording the song,"

**A/N: OMG! I am sooooooooooo sick and tired of vampires and Beliebers with Bieber Fever! the people at my school SUCK! they are all about Edward and Jacob and Justin Bieber and then i get made fun of because i love Big Time Rush and i wear a t-shirt that says 'Not Afraid- Eminem' and my favorite actor is Drew Garrett who played Michael Corinthos on General Hospital. my school sucks! anyway...you know the drill, four reviews and i will update.**


	18. Chapter 18

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 18

Gustavo, Josh and Kendall just look at her shocked. She no longer had black hair. Her hair was blonde. The beautiful blonde it was before and it had its semi curls back also. She no longer had her nose ring. She looked just like she did before she went gothic. Before she shut Kendall out of her life.

"Are any of you going to say anything," Gabi asks breaking the silence. "Because I would love to work on the song and get it released as soon as possible,"

Gustavo looks at Josh then back to Gabi.

"Jefferson, I need to talk to you for a moment," Gustavo says before putting his hand on Josh's shoulder and walking out of the room.

Gabi then just grabs her phone out of her pocket and pretends to be texting someone so Kendall wouldn't talk to her. She did not want to explain to him that Dante was still alive and she was only doing this for money to find him over in Iraq and she just really didn't want to talk to him at all. She could only take so much of him.

Kendall tries not to stare at her. She was back to her beautiful self. Not that she wasn't beautiful after she died her hair, she still was, but she just looked like her old self, and that only made Kendall miss her more.

That's when Kendall notices that she isn't wearing any bracelets. She always wore bracelets on her right wrist to do her best of covering the scars she had from when she cut her wrist before back in Brinnon. But, she only had cuts on her right wrist last time he looked, which was like four months ago. That could only mean one thing.

This whole thing with Brook Lynn caused Gabi to cut herself on purpose. She was hurting herself because of what Brook Lynn did. She was physically hurting herself because Brook Lynn drugged him and made it look like he was cheating on her. That just made him want to scream or yell or punch something. But, he knew he couldn't do that around her. He knew he couldn't get loud and mad, punch a wall or anything like that. It would really scare her. It would make her have terrible flashbacks to when she was beaten constantly. She couldn't be around guys that yelled too much. Gustavo finally was understanding that and not being his loud self when she was around, well, before she changed. She didn't show it that much, but when Josh or Gustavo or Griffin yelled, she got scared. When they were together, he had to be careful that she knew he was behind her or next to her, and to not sneak up on her. She shouldn't have to be scared anymore. She never should have had to be scared like that.

Gabi deserved none of this. After all she had been through, beatings by Justin, her parents disowning, losing Hailie Jade, losing Dante. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her and he didn't even try and he did.

"I know your staring," Gabi says.

Kendall then looks away and Gabi glances down at her wrists and closes her eyes.

_Gabi walks through the front door of her apartment in tears. She slams the door shut behind her throws her bag to the ground as the tears continue to pour out of her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach. Dante told her that Kendall cared. Kendall said he loved her. He promised he would love her forever._

_Looks like what they said was true. There will always be a lie in believe, if in life, over in lover, and end in friends._

_As more tears fall from her brown eyes, Gabi walks into the kitchen and just breaks down and leans against the counter. After a moment, she glances down at the wrists and sees the scars she had from when she cut herself before. The stress it relieved and how it was the only thing she could control over a year ago when her life sucked. Without even giving it a second thought, Gabi quickly reaches up to one of the drawers near her and opens it while she still remains on the floor leaning against the counter. She pulls out a knife and grips it in her left hand and looks at her right wrist before putting the blade there and making a cut._

Outside the room with Josh and Gustavo…

"Ok, I want to know how you got her to come in, die her hair back to its natural color, dress normal and take out her nose ring?" Gustavo asks him. "Because it looks like she never changed and went Goth, like nothing even happened between her and the monkey dog,"

"You want the truth?" Josh asks him. "I honestly have no idea, last thing I said to her was 'you need to get your ass to Rocque Records tomorrow by nine thirty to record the song with Kendall, I don't give a damn that you hate him, you are going to be there, screw whatever Marshall told you, get your ass there tomorrow,'"

"And how did she respond to that?" Gustavo asks him.

"She threw a rock at me," Josh answers him. "She missed, but her aim is improving which isn't a good thing,"

"Then why did she change?" Gustavo asks him. "Did Marshall have anything to do with this?"

"If he did, it was the one good thing he has done for her," Josh says.

"Ok, lets not over analyze this," Gustavo says. "Lets just get in there and work on this before she goes back to the way she was,"

Josh then nods and he and Gustavo walk back into the room.

"Ok, Gabi, get in the booth, warm up your vocals with a song of your choice," Gustavo says as he walks in.,

"Ok," Gabi says. "But I also have a few songs I want you to see, When I Look At You, Hold, Fall To Pieces and What If,"

"Ok, I will look at them later," Gustavo says. "Just go get in there, what do you want to warm your vocals up with?"

"Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood," Gabi answers him.

Gustavo nods and Gabi walks into the recording booth and puts the headphones on and Gustavo starts the music.

_Right Now  
__He's probably slow dancing  
__With a beach blonde tramp  
__And she's probably getting frisky_

_Right now  
__He's probably buying her some  
__Fruity little drink  
__Cuz she can't shoot wisky_

_Right now  
__He's probably up behind her  
__With a pool stick  
__Showing her how to shoot a combo_

_But he don't know_

_I dug my key  
__Into the side  
__Of his pretty little  
__Souped up  
__Four wheel drive_

_Carved my name into his leather seem  
__I took a lousiville slugger  
__To both head lights  
__Slashed a hole in all four tires_

_Maybe next time he'll think  
__Before he cheats_

_Right now  
__She's probably up  
__Singing some  
__White trash version of  
__Shanaya karakee_

_Right now  
__She's probably saying I'm drunk  
__And he thinks he's gonna get lucky_

_Right now  
__He's probably dabbing on  
__Three dollars worth  
__Of that bathroom polo_

_But he don't know_

_I dug my key  
__Into the side  
__Of his pretty little  
__Souped up  
__Four wheel drive_

_Carved my name into his leather seem  
__I took a lousiville slugger  
__To both head lights  
__Slashed a hole in all four tires_

_Maybe next time he'll think  
__Before he cheats_

_I might have saved  
__A little trouble for the  
__Next girl  
__Cuz next time that he cheats  
__You know  
__It wont be on me_

_No  
__Not on me_

_I dug my key  
__Into the side  
__Of his pretty little  
__Souped up  
__Four wheel drive_

_Carved my name into his leather seem  
__I took a lousiville slugger  
__To both head lights  
__Slashed a hole in all four tires  
__Maybe next time he'll think  
__Before he cheats_

_Not on me  
__Oh before he cheats  
__Oh whoa_


	19. Chapter 19

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 19

_Standing out in the rain  
__Knowing that it's really over  
__Please don't leave me alone  
__Flooded with all this pain  
__Knowing that I will never hold you  
__Like I did  
__Before the storm_

The song finally ends and the music stops. Gabi just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Get away from him as soon as possible. It still hurt to be around him. It still hurt a lot. She wanted to walk out in the middle of the song so many times, but she couldn't she had to do it for Dante. She had to do it so that if there was any chance he was still alive, she could find him and get him home. He did not deserve to be a prisoner at some camp in Iraq. Out of everyone in the world, he was the last one to deserve it.

What did they even do at war camps? Was he isolated somewhere or was he stuck with other American soldiers who were captured? Was he being tortured by them, like Sayid did on LOST when he 'interrogated' people? If he was then he was getting beaten, acid burns, drills into his hands, and that bamboo stuff under his fingernails.

God, she had to do something to help him and fast.

"Ok, you guys did great," Gustavo says into the microphone, "your done for the day,"

Gabi quickly takes her headphones off and gets out of the recording booth. Kendall follows not to far behind.

"What time do you want me here tomorrow?" Gabi asks him.

"Same time would be great," Gustavo tells her.

"Ok, and tomorrow, would that be a good time to show you the songs?" Gabi asks him.

"Yeah, but how do they go?" Gustavo asks her.

"Ok, Fall To Pieces goes, 'I don't want to fall to pieces, I just want to sit and stare at you, I don't want to talk about it, I don't want a conversation, I just want to cry in front of you, I don't want to talk about it, cuz I'm in love with you," Gabi quickly sings for him.

"Ok, other verses in that song," Gustavo says.

"Ok, first, 'I looked away, then I looked back at you, you tried to say, things that you cant undo, if I had my way, I'd never get over you, today's the day, I pray that we make it through, make it through the fall, make it through it all,"

"Next verse," Gustavo says.

"You're the only one, I'd be with till the end, when I come undone, you bring me back again, back under stars, back into your arms," Gabi sings for him.

"Ok, next one," Gustavo says.

"Want to know who you are, want to know where to start, I want to know what this means, want to know how you feel, want to know what is real, I want to know everything, everything," Gabi sings for him.

Josh just sits their still shocked because Gabi has changed back to her old self and it is as if nothing has changed.

"Ok, what about Hold?" Gustavo asks.

"Cuz I need…I need a hand to hold, to hold me from the edge, the edge I'm sliding over slow, cuz I need, I need your hand to hold, to hold me from the edge, the edge I'm sliding past, hold on to me," Gabi quickly sings for him.

"Ok, the verses," Gustavo says still sort of in shock that Gabi is actually here and doing this, not dressed in black and has her hair back to blonde.

"Tell me that its gonna be ok, tell me that you'll help me find my way, tell me you can see the light of dawn in breaking, tell me that its gonna be alright, tell me that you'll help me fight this fight, tell me that you wont leave me alone in this," Gabi sings for him. "And 'tell me I can make it through this day, I don't even have the words to pray, you have been the only one who never left me, help me find a way through all my fears, help me see that light through all my tears, help me see that I am not alone in this,"

"Ok, that is impressive," Gustavo says. "what about What If?"

"I was see you down the line, what if I've built up what was mine, what if I didn't forget passion like you did, what if I find my purpose first, what if I fulfill my life's work, what if you counting on my failure made me live," Gabi sings for him.

"ok, verses," Gustavo says.

Kendall just stands there still thinking about Fall To Pieces and Hold, were they about him. probably.

"stand tall, head and shoulders down, they don't make them like me anymore, you failed to see that I am not your shadow, I can be more, you said the world is hard to face, I am your umbrella again, but I can keep up with its pace if you let me go," Gabi sings. "then 'not scared, I know you thought I was shaking fast in my own two shoes, but these soles could fight the ocean waves, dirty laundry and world war two, finally I see my past my own front hands, not a cowards cold hard fists, thank you for telling me that I cant, without you I wouldn't be where I am,' and then 'if you see me again, you wont know my face, but you'll recall my heart, inside of me, a side of you is placed, when I see you again, I wont be bitter, you, you're so far to blame, you're part of this change, I knew so much of you, I wont ever be the same,"

"ok, that is awesome, When I Look At You," Gustavo says.

"when my world is falling apart, when there's no light to break up the dark, that's when I, I look at you, when the waves are flooding the shore and I cant, find my way home anymore, that's when I, I look at you," Gabi sings for him.

"that's pretty good," Gustavo says. "now the verses,"

by now, he is shocked she is actually doing what she is told and not yelling or screaming at anyone.

"everybody needs inspiration, everybody needs a song, a beautiful melody, when the nights are long, cuz there is no guarantee, that this life is easy," Gabi sings for him. "when I look at you, I see forgiveness, I see the truth, you love me for who I am, like the stars hold the moon, right where they belong, I know that I am not alone,' and 'you appear just like a dream to me, like kaleidoscope colors that cover me, all I need, every breath that I breathe, don't you know that you're beautiful,"

Gustavo then nods.

"I like them," he says. "we will discuss this tomorrow, but right now, I have a place to be,"

"uh…Gabi, do you need a ride back to your apartment?" Josh asks her.

"no, I actually need to talk to Marshall about something, and Shady Records is only three blocks away so I was going to walk there," Gabi answers him. "I will see you guys tomorrow,"

Gabi then walks out of the room.

Josh looks to Gustavo.

"that is definitely not something I expected," Gustavo says.

"yeah, none of those songs were dark or weird or different like the newer ones she has written, like Can't Be Tamed, I Don't Give, and The Best Damn Thing," Josh says.

he and Gustavo then look to Kendall.

"did you talk to her at all since she got out of the hospital?" Josh asks him. "what changed her behavior back to the way it was?"

"I haven't spoken to her since she screamed at me to get out of her hospital room and threatened to throw something at me," Kendall replies.

"then what happened?" Gustavo asks.

"lets not question it, let's just be happy and hopes it lasts until tomorrow," Josh says. "I will see you then,"

Josh then walks out of the room and Gustavo looks to Kendall.

"be back tomorrow same time," Gustavo tells him.

"I will," Kendall says.

he turns to walk out of the room when he notices that Gabi left her black hoodie here.

"Gabi left her jacket," Kendall says.

"she can get it tomorrow," Gustavo says.

"how far away did she say Shady Records was?" Kendall asks him.

"three blocks, why?" Gustavo asks him.

"I will just go take it to her," Kendall says before he grabs it.

He then walks out of the room and out of Rocque Records and over to Shady Records three blocks away.

He enters the lobby to see Gabi walk up to a receptionist.

"Hey Pam," Gabi says with a smile as she walks over.

"Hello Gabi," the receptionist says.

"hey, is Marshall here today, he isn't answering his phone?" Gabi asks her.

"he will be later, he is currently out with the rest of D-12, they are discussing an album in memory of Deshaun, " the receptionist says. "he and D-12 will be back within an hour, after that they have fifteen minutes of rap lyrics to go over, then Marshall is free for a twenty minute period and then Hailie and Whitney are stopping by,"

"ok, I can wait an hour," Gabi says.

"are you sure you want to wait an hour, I can just tell him you stopped by and he can call you," the receptionist asks.

"no, its something important," Gabi says.

"ok then, take a seat over there, you will know when he is here," the receptionist tells her.

Gabi nods then turns to walk over to the seating area when Kendall walks up to her.

"you left this at Rocque Records," Kendall tells her as he hands Gabi her black hoodie.

Gabi grabs it from him and doesn't make eye contact. She still did not want to be near him. it still hurt too much. But she was not yelling and screaming at him. that was progress.

"Gabi…can we please talk," Kendall asks her.

"I am kind of busy," Gabi tells him. "I am meeting Marshall,"

"I heard what the receptionist told you, Marshall wont be here for an hour," Kendall says.

Gabi just looks at him with sorrow filled brown eyes.

"Gabs, I just want to talk, I am not asking you to marry me," Kendall tells her. "and then, if you want me to leave you alone for the rest of your life, I promise I will do that,"

_"is that Hailie Scott?" Gabi asks shocked. "Eminem's… I mean Marshall's daughter?"_

_"yes, she is the maid of honor for the wedding," Dante tells her. "keep watching,"_

_after Hailie Scott gets a few steps down the aisle, Gabi sees a blonde haired hazel-eyed girl walk down the aisle in a beautiful white wedding dress._

_Gabi's mouth drops open when she realizes who it was._

_Her._

_"holy cheese," Gabi says in shock._

_"yeah," Dante tells her. "that is you,"_

_Gabi turns to him shocked._

_"this really happens?" she asks him. "I really fall in love with Kendall and we get married?"_

_"fall in love, yes, actually very soon, but the marrying part, that isn't happening for five years if it was up to me, ten because you are my baby sister and seem way to young," Dante tells her._

Gabi shakes her head a little as that comes flooding into her mind. She had no memory of that. where did that come from? That never could have happened, it was like she was watching herself and Dante watch herself. It made no sense

"it's just talking," Kendall says. "that's all I want, after it, you can hate me forever,"

Gabi nods.

"fine," she says.

**a/n: sorry it took so long, i have been busy, school sucks...and i hate my history teacher. apperantly because i dont know who Sue Bird is, i am not 'culturally literate' yes she thinks peru is argentina. creepy. anyway, i would like to know, what do you guys want to see happen next. i kinda hav writers block and suggestions are welcome. wat do you want to see happen? tell me that in a review please**


	20. Chapter 20

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 20

Gabi then starts to walk over to the sofa and chairs in the lobby where people can sit and wait or just hang out, and Kendall follows her.

As they walk, Kendall speaks up.

"you know I never would want to hurt you," he says. "you have already been through hell with what Justin put you through and losing Hailie Jade and your parents and Dante…"

Gabi stops walking and turns around and faces him.

"yeah, about Dante," Gabi says as she takes a deep breath.

She should probably tell someone about Dante being alive after all. She hadn't told anyone, not even Marshall. She definitely wasn't going to tell Josh, she still hated him with a burning passion, but Kendall was getting easier to stomach. She didn't put her energy in hating him and being mad. She put her energy in trying to find out how to save Dante and get him back from wherever he was in Iraq.

But seriously, tell Kendall, she still hated him for being with that girl while they were together, while he kept telling her that he loved her and promised her he would love her forever, that she was the most beautiful girl in the world, that he couldn't see how anyone would even want to hurt her because how amazing she was.

"ok, what about Dante?" Kendall asks her as he notices someone walk through the front door of the lobby with a duffle bag that looks super suspicious.

"ok, I really don't want to talk about it, just tell me what you need to tell…" Gabi starts but Kendall interrupts her.

"yeah, lets talk about this somewhere else," Kendall says.

"why?" Gabi asks him confused. "if you think I am going anywhere with you, your insane,"

Kendall looks to the suspicious dude who is getting even more suspicious.

"ok, just trust me on this," Kendall says as he puts his hand on her shoulder and tries to turn around to go to a different hallway with her because the bad feeling the suspicious dude is giving him.

Gabi then shakes his hand off her shoulder.

"that's the problem, I don't trust you," she tells him "that's why we are in this situation, why I hate you and want to stab you with a fork, if you want to talk, talk, but I am not going anywhere with you,"

"Gabi, seriously, just trust me on this," Kendall tells her lowering his voice.

Before Gabi can say anything the man who looks suspicious rips off his coat and throws it to the floor, revealing a bomb strapped to his chest and grabs a gun from the back of his waistband of his pants,

"everybody listen up," he yells as he points his gun to the ceiling shooting it once. "I have a gun, and I do have a bomb strapped to my chest, and I am not afraid to shoot you all or blow up this whole freaking place,"

Kendall instinctively steps in front of Gabi as the first shot goes off, knowing that no matter how much she hated him, he was not going to let her get hurt. He still loved her more then anything.

One of the security guards reaches for his gun to react but the gunmen bomber dude swiftly points his gun at him and fires, hitting him in the chest and he falls to the ground bleeding out. As soon as the gun goes off, Gabi jumps at the noise and starts to tear up.

Sure, she pushed Marshall out of the line of fire and got shot herself in a drive-by, but this was different, it wasn't a drive-by. The creeper was here with a gun and a bomb strapped to his chest. He just shot a security guard and he said he wasn't afraid to kill everyone and blow the place up. that was a lot different then a drive-by. This guy was in here possibly holding them all hostage.

"do I make myself clear," the gunmen bomber asks mad.

There were only two other people in the lobby other then Gabi and Kendall, well, minus the creeper with the gun and a bomb and the security guard on the floor bleeding, possibly dead. They were the receptionist, Pam Beesly who sat at her desk, and a guy who looked like he worked here at Shady Records as an accountant or one of those jobs where you needed a college diploma to have and needed to actually graduate high school, unlike Marshall. He was sitting down in the lounge area.

The man with the bomb and gun then walks over to the receptionists desk with his gun pointed at Pam who has her hands up scared and nervous with what he is going to do. Kendall backs up a little with Gabi right behind him, holding onto his arm from fear, and looks towards the hallway and wonders how fast he and Gabi could make a mad dash for it.

"don't even think about," the man says mad to Kendall as he realizes what Kendall was thinking.

Kendall just looks back at him emotionless hoping he will turn around.

"you even think of running, and I will blow your girlfriends head off," the man barks to Kendall.

Gabi doesn't make a comment saying she isn't his girlfriend which is either progress from her hating him, or she is to scared to say anything.

"ok," Kendall says calmly. "I understand, I am not going to make a run for it,"

he looks at the gunmen bomber creeper calmly trying to stay cool in this situation. He did not want to antognize the creeper anymore. He was already on edge.

The creeper then points his gun back at the receptionist.

"I am here for one reason, and one reason only," he says coldly to Pam the receptionist.

Pam nods in tears hoping that he isn't going to shoot her.

"tell me where the hell Marshall Mathers is,"

**A/N: not much to say, four reviews and i will update...**


	21. Chapter 21

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 21

"tell me where the hell Marshall Mathers is,"

Pam the receptionist just stares back at the bomber gunmen creeper knowing that when she tells him that Marshall isn't here in the building and is out with the rest of D-12 discussing a tribute album to Deshaun (Proof), she will most likely get shot.

"did you hear me?" he yells at her. "where the hell is Marshall Mathers,"

"sir, there are three Marshall Mathers out there," Pam says stalling. "Marshall Bruce Mathers Sr., Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., and Marshall Bruce Mathers The Third,"

"you know which one," he barks to the receptionist.

Kendall can tell Gabi is getting more nervous because the creeper is after Marshall, arguably her closest friend. Marshall wasn't here and Gabi was nervous that when he noticed that, he would recognize her from when she and him recorded Love The Way You Lie. And if he recognized her he would hurt her because she was close to Marshall. But why go after him. if this person really wanted to hurt Marshall, he would go after Hailie, Lainey, Whitney and Kim. His daughters and ex wife. He loved them all, even Kim, even though they never got it together.

That meant this person wanted just Marshall, and he wanted him dead. He didn't care about anything else.

Kendall still stands in front of her still not wanting her to get hurt in this and Gabi still grips onto his arm scared on what's going to happen when the creeper realizes Marshall isn't here.

"Marshall isn't here at the moment," Pam tells him hesitantly scared. "he is out with D-12, he wont be back for another hour,"

"you have got to be freaking kidding me," the creeper yells annoyed and agitated causing Gabi to flinch in fear.

_"you have got to be freaking kidding me! what they hell do you mean your leaving for LA? You are my girlfriend, you belong to me,"_

oh god, it was like Gabi could hear Justin's voice in her ear again. That was so not helping the situation.

Kendall glances over to the security guard who is still on the floor bleeding out, he was definitely dead. No one lost that much blood and survived. But the only thing on his mind was getting Gabi out of here alive and unharmed.

"ok, Marshall isn't here," Kendall says calmly trying to reason with the creeper bomber gunmen and hopefully get him to leave. "why don't you leave now, and nobody else has to get hurt,"

the creeper looks to him, then to Gabi, then to Pam the receptionist.

"just let this go," Kendall says still trying to reason with him "no one else has to get hurt,"

The creeper just glares at Kendall getting even madder scaring Gabi even more. Over a year ago, she saw that glare all the time and it always lead to physical violence.

"I am here for Marshall Mathers, and I am not leaving until he is dead," the creeper says. "and I kill him,"

"do you even know Marshall Mathers?" Kendall asks "why do you want him dead,"

"all the controversy he has caused," the Creeper yells. "everything he has done, threatening to kill George Bush, hating gays,"

Gabi again flinches as he raises his voice. Yelling is not something that she could handle that well.

"well, Marshall isn't here," Kendall says. "there is not much you can do to him while he isn't here,"

the Creeper just glares at Kendall.

"there is no need to hurt anyone," Kendall tells him calmly.

The Creeper then lowers his gun and Gabi takes a deep breath as more tears fall as she hopes that this will be over now she did not need to get shot again. She had so much to live for right now. Four months ago, she would have been fine with dying, but now she had a reason to live. Dante. She could not die without helping him out of wherever the Iraq government was keeping him.

"just walk out of here," Kendall says "this can end right now,"

at that moment, the Creeper looks like he is about to put his gun away and give in, Gabi's cell phone ringtone goes off, the chorus to Shut Up by Simple Plan starts to play out, which agitates the Creeper so he pulls his gun back up.

"what the hell is that?" he yells annoyed.

"relax, its just her phone," Kendall says.

"give it to me," he shouts mad.

Gabi quickly pulls her phone out of her jean pocket and hands it to Kendall and he tosses to the Creeper. He catches it.

"What the hell is I Survived and why is that number in your phone and why are they calling you?" the creeper yells at Gabi.

She just looks back scared too afraid to answer him.

"Answer me!" he yells at her.

"Look, yelling at her isn't going to get her answer you," Kendall says defending her.

"Then tell me what I Survived is and why it's calling you," The Creeper yells at her.

Gabi just looks back not knowing what to say.

"I Survived is a TV show on the Biography channel," she answers him in tears. "I was going to sell them my story of survival for an episode,"

The Creeper just glares at her and then chucks the phone at the wall near Pam and it breaks on impact cracking the screen and the battery falling out.

Gabi again flinches when it breaks.

"What the hell did you survive that the show wants to use your story?" the Creeper yells at her.

Gabi just looks back too scared not knowing how to answer him.

"Yelling at her isn't going to get her to answer you," Kendall repeats to the Creeper.

"Then just answer me," The Creeper yells.

Gabi knew this guy was after Marshall. If he knew she was friends with Marshall and that's why she was even here, that could get her hurt. She had to live. She had to survive this for Dante. She was his only hope. So she did the only thing she could think of. Lie.

"When I…when I was seven, my parents were taking me to New York to visit…to visit their family," Gabi starts to lie. "The plane crashed in the middle of an empty field somewhere in Montana, the crash killed them both, my mom made sure I survived it though,"

The Creeper just glares at her and Gabi just prays that he would buy that lie she just told him.

"What's your name Girly?" the Creeper asks her.

She knew she couldn't tell him her real name, so she had to lie again.

"Starr," Gabi says without thinking.

The last thing she watched on TV was One Life To Live, so Starr was the first name to come to her mind.

"Starr?" the Creeper asks her.

Hopefully he didn't recognize her.

"Yeah, Starr Manning," Gabi says.

"and who would you be?" the Creeper asks Kendall.

"he's Cole," Gabi says speaking up still nervous.

If the Creeper knew that Kendall was Kendall, it wouldn't take him long to know that Gabi was Gabi, not Starr Manning who she claimed to be.

"Cole?" The Creeper asks annoyed.

"yeah, he's Cole Thornhart, I am Starr Manning," Gabi says stalling him.

"now, why don't you lower your gun, no one else has to get hurt," Kendall tells him calmly. "just walk away, I am sure whatever Marshall Mathers did, isn't worth a life in prison,"

"Marshall Mathers killed my daughter," the Creeper says mad.


	22. Chapter 22

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 22

Dante McCoy awakes to ice cold water being dumped on his head. His brown eyes shoot open from shock but then close again due to the fact he is used to waking up to cold water being dumped over his head. He can feel is dark brown hair stuck to her face because of the water and can hear someone tapping their foot.

He moans as he stretches his arms out as far as he could. His feels the metal cuffs around his wrists and remembers how raw his skin was there. It hurt just thinking about it. It felt as if he was skinned there and a pound of salt was dropped on it to cover the wound just to torture him. Well, that was probably what they were going to do. Pour salt on the wounds.

Who you are asking?

The Iraqi soldiers at the prison war camp where he was being held somewhere in the Iraqi mountains. A war camp no one knew about. A terrorist group who is still pissed at and hates the United States set it up. they found an old army base from like the thirties and have been using it ever since and they would find American soldiers and take them there.

Dante looks up at the man standing over him. same one as always. Same gray and black hair with a similar beard. Same tan skin and same merciless dark brown eyes full of hatred and hostility. So Dante just glares at him, giving him the death glare he and his sister were famous for back home.

Sister.

It had been so long since Dante has even seen Gabi, let alone hear from her. He couldn't even estimate how long it's been. They days all blurred together. It could have been two months he was trapped here, or two years. He had no clue.

_Dante is up on a helicopter that is going fast. He is dressed in his camouflage uniform with D. McCoy stitched on the upper right chest. He isn't alone in the helicopter, three other people are with him. His superior and someone a lower rank._

_"McCoy, we're going down," his superior yells to him from where he is seated in the helicopter while piloting it. _

_"what do you mean were going down?" Dante yells back so his superior can hear him over the chopping of the propellers that are keeping them in the air. _

_"I mean that we are going down," he yells back. "get the parachutes and you and Jenson get out,"_

_the man in the lower rank looks to Dante. _

_"not without you Lieutenant," Dante yells back. _

_"McCoy, you get those two parachutes, give one to Jenson and get the hell out of here," his superior yells at him. _

_Dante then grabs one of the parachutes and hands it to the lower ranked officer. _

_"Jenson, jump," Dante yells to him. _

_"are you sure McCoy?" Jenson yells to him. _

_"Yeah, Jump," Dante yells back. _

_Jenson, the lower ranked officer then grabs the parachute before putting it on his back. He then jumps from the helicopter. _

_"McCoy, I swear to god, if you don't jump…" his superior yells to him. _

_"Lieutenant, not without you," Dante yells back "you have a wife and three daughters who need you,"_

_"yeah, and you have a sister and two parents who love you and would hate it if you died in a firey explosion, now damn it McCoy, Jump," his superior yells annoyed._

_"not without you," Dante yells back not giving in on the argument_

_"McCoy, jump now, that's an order," his superior yells to him. _

_"like I said, not without you Lieutenant," Dante yells back. _

_His superior then takes one hand off of the steering instrument the helicopter has, he then grabs the parachute off the seat next to him and chucks it to Dante while still steering the crashing helicopter. _

_"Jump McCoy," he yells to him. "think about that little sister of yours you have, the singer who is now in LA recording a CD, she will want her big brother there when it gets released, think about her, and jump,"_

_"not without you," Dante yells not giving up still. _

_"McCoy, you need to jump now, or I will push you out myself," his superior yells. "now jump,"_

_Before Dante can argue, his superior steers the helicopter to an angle knocking Dante off his feet and he falls out of the helicopter, forcing him to yank on the chain of the parachute releasing it, slowing his fall to the ground. _

The man standing over Dante barks something at him that sounds like gibberish. What in Arabic doesn't sound like gibberish though.

The man then grabs Dante by the collar of his worn military uniform pulling him up from the ground and to his knees. He then barks something else at Dante that he had no clue what it meant. Dante barely knew any Arabic, (the official language they speak in Iraq), but he recognized a few words sometimes and memorized them, even though he had no idea what they meant.

Dante then says a few words (that he has no idea what they meant) to the man. They were obviously offensive because the man then grabs Dante and pulls him all the way to his feet. He puts his hand on the back of his neck and then starts walking out of the room where he was being held. Dante recognized the hallway. He was walked down it everyday to the interrogation room. He sat at the table he was asked questions that he wouldn't answer. Then he would get beaten up, and taken back to his cell and the next day it would happen all over again. It's been like that as long as he can remember.

The man walking with him then opens a metal door in the dark musty hallway and walks inside with Dante and sits him down at the table across from another Iraqi man, a little older, but with no beard, he obviously shaved. The first man glares at Dante before spitting at him, his saliva lands on his worn uniform and then the man walks out of the room.

"what did you say to Sayid to piss him off?" the man sitting across from Dante asks him amused in English with his thick Iraqi accent.

"honestly, I have no idea," Dante replies. "but I think it might have been about his mother, showing his reaction,"

the man then laughs.

"so, McCoy, are you going to tell us today what we have been trying to get from you for the past year?" the man then asks him.

"a year, has it really been only a year?" Dante asks him. "it feels like its been much longer then that,"

"McCoy," the man says. "or Dante, whichever you prefer, you going to answer the question,"

"like I have told you yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the many days you have brought me in here," Dante starts. "I am never selling out my country,"

"Dante," the man says calmly. "you sure about that?"

"yeah," Dante answers him. "as sure as my name is Dante McCoy and my baby sister's name isn't Destiny Hope, and Eminem is the king of rap,"

"right, your sister, Gabriella, better known as Gabi," the man says calmly.

Dante looked at him shocked. How did they know about Gabi.

"yes, we know about your sister," the man tells him as he folds his hands on the table.

"I swear to god, if you lay a hand on her, I will murder you with my bare hands," Dante tells him intimidating.

"well, see, Mr. McCoy, there is no god," the man says. "and you don't have to worry about us laying a hand on her, someone already has,"

Dante leans forward.

"what the hell you are talking about?" he asks mad. "what happened to my baby sister,"

the man then scoots a file folder forward and opens it.

"a lot has happened in the past two years," the man tells him. "a lot since you left to be deployed here to defend your stupid country,"

"tell me what the hell happened to my baby sister or I swear to god, I will snap your neck like a skinny twig," Dante says mad.

"calm down Mr. McCoy," the man says calmly "you get mad to fast,"

"then tell me what the hell you are talking about," Dante says getting madder.

The man then smirks as he hands him a police report from when she was first hospitalized because of Justin, the time she had to be airlifted to the hospital. Dante grabs it with his hands that are still handcuffed together and looks at it.

Dante then glares at him.

"someone broke into your home and beat your little sister senseless," the man says as he grabs a picture of her bruised up and in a hospital bed out of the folder and slides it to him.

"I know," Dante says coldly. "and I couldn't have been there to help her, are you telling me that you are the ones that did that to her?"

"no, no, we would never hurt an innocent teenager," the man says to him.

"really, because your people have killed many innocent people in terrorist attacks, women and children died in them," Dante says mad.

"ok, we would, but I can assure you that the Iraqi government had nothing to do with your sisters first attack," the man tells him.

"what the hell do you mean by first attack," Dante asks him nervous.

"that is right, I haven't told Sayid to give you an update on her," the man says. "well, you know that your sister had a boyfriend back in that hometown where you grew up,"

"ok, what does Justin Wilson have to do with any of this?" Dante asks him.

"he, Mr. McCoy is the one that laid a hand on your baby sister," the man says with a smile. "as you know, shortly after you were deployed, she went on a date with that Justin guy, he beat her like a dog,"

Dante just looks at him mad.

"you are probably wondering why we know this and how," the man says with a evil smile to Dante. "we have a great computer hacker that works for us, he got your sisters file from the LAPD, so we got all the police reports, and we know every detail on what has happened to your sister in the past two years, including her being beaten by her boyfriend, and getting pregnant with his child,"

Dante leans forward getting mad at what he thinks are lies.

"don't believe me Mr. McCoy?" the man asks. "then look at this,"

the man then pulls out a copy of Gabi's ultrasound picture and pushes it towards him.

"you were going to be an uncle," the man says. "were, your sister escaped this boyfriend of hers that beat her up all the time. She got to LA as you know to start her singing career, and by the way, her album came out last year after she recorded a song with some guy, Eminem, some rapper in your stupid country"

the man then takes out a picture of the cover of Gabi's breakout CD, and of her with Marshall on stage on the Today show.

"anyway, she got away, she found out she was pregnant and then got informed that you died, which obviously you haven't because you are right here, anyway, she made a friend, the one she recorded some song with, and to make a very long story short, he helped her through her pregnancy after your parents disowned her, I don't know his full name, all I know is that his first name is Kendall, a really stupid American name of course, they grew closer, ended up in a romantic relationship, then that boyfriend who beat her came back into the picture, he found her abducted her, beat her again, and put her in a coma and she lost her unborn child,"

"I swear to god, I seriously will murder you with my bare hands if you do anything to her," Dante says through gritted teeth.

"we wouldn't dream of it, just tell us what we want to know," the man tells him.

"you know I cant do that," Dante says. "if I negotiate with you, it is betraying my country and I will go to prison when and if I get back home,"

"ok Mr. McCoy, have it your way," the man tells him. "since your sister is famous, its unlikely we can hurt her anyway without getting caught and this whole underground organization being exposed, but, you have until tomorrow to tell us, or I will send someone after her,"

"you just said you wouldn't," Dante says mad.

"yeah, but that was me negotiating, you have until tomorrow to tell us what we want, or your sisters murder will be on your hands," the man says with smile. "and if I were you, there would be no way I could live with myself knowing I got my own sister murdered,"

_**A/N: remember to review telling me what you liked, hated and want to see happy next.**_


	23. Chapter 23

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 23

Gabi just looks at the Creeper shocked at the words that came out of his mouth. He just said that Marshall, Marshall Mathers had killed his daughter. That was not true. Gabi knew that. Marshall hasn't killed anyone. He wasn't a killer. The closest thing he has done to killing someone is when he pistol-whipped that one guy for kissing Kim when they were married. Well, then he killed people in his raps, but that didn't count because it wasn't real. He didn't actually do it. It was just a song.

So why was this creeper talking about how Marshall killed his daughter.

Gabi just stays quiet, too afraid to speak. This guy was obviously mentally unstable. Not many people who were really mentally stable strapped a bomb to their chest and brought a gun inside a rap record company and shot a guy and demanded to speak to Marshall Mathers so he can kill him.

"how did Marshall Mathers kill your daughter," Kendall says speaking up.

"my baby girl, my baby girl Cassie was thirteen when he released his first album, the Slim Shady LP, she fell in love with his rhymes," the man yells.

Gabi flinches again with the yelling. She didn't no how much longer she could actually take it before she broke down.

"apparently to her, this Marshall guy was a lyrical genius," The Creeper yells again. "so she became a fan, by the time 8 Mile came out in theaters and the Eminem Show was released, she said she had fallen in long with him and his raps, by Encore's release, she wished so bad that he was her father instead of me,"

"ok, it is very understanding that you would be mad about that," Kendall says calmly still trying to reason with him. "but that doesn't mean Marshall killed your daughter,"

"you didn't let me finish," The Creeper yells. "she freaking worshiped the man, he was god to her, she had his posters plastered all over her walls, she quoted his lyrics all the time, she would always be saying 'I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn't then why would I say I am, in the paper the news everyday I am, I don't know its just the way I am,'"

as he quotes Marshall's song The Way I Am, he says it spitefully and full of hate.

"Then she's always like 'you only get one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you've ever wanted, one moment, do you capture it or let it slip?' she is always saying to lose yourself in what you love saying 'its your moment, you own, you better never ever let it go, this is your opportunity, your one chance in a lifetime," The Creeper yells. "and she was saying 'when I'm gone, carry on, don't mourn, rejoice at the sound of my voice, just know that I'm looking down on you smiling,'"

the Creeper takes a deep breath before continuing his yelling that is scaring Gabi even more. How much longer could she take the yelling? She felt as if she was going to break down any minute and cry her eyes out.

"she was so happy when she heard that Marshall was coming to Phoenix for a concert. She stayed up all night waiting for the tickets to go on sale and she finally got them, then she went to his concert alone because her best friend was sick the night of and my Cassie just had to go, she was found dead four blocks away from the arena,"

Kendall looks at the creeper sympathetically realizing what he means by Marshall killed his daughter. He obviously blamed Marshall for his daughter's death. she was going to a concert for him and she got attacked and murdered. God only knows what else happened to her. but, that was no excuse for what he was doing. He shot an innocent man who is still bleeding out on the floor. How much blood could that guy lose? It looks like there was enough blood pouring out of his body to fill a giant bucket. Anyway, he was also holding him, Gabi, a receptionist, some other dude hostage. He wasn't sure how much longer Gabi could stay in this situation before she broke down in tears. He just needed to get her out of there.

Wait a second, where was the other dude? Last time Kendall looked over to where he was, he was sitting on one of the chairs freaked out, now he was nowhere to be seen. Did he escape? No, someone would have noticed if he escaped through the door or something. Then where was he?

Wait, right now, that was not what mattered, what mattered was getting this guy to go someone else, convince him to put the gun down at them go, that it wasn't worth it to murder innocent people.

"ok, sir, what happened to your daughter, that is awful," Kendall says sympathetically to him. "it is terrible and it shouldn't have happened, no one should be murdered, but it isn't worth the innocent lives here who have nothing to do with it,"

"she died because of Marshall Mathers," the Creeper says mad.

"no she died because of what her killer did to her," Kendall tells him. "Marshall had nothing to do with it, all he did was have a concert, he just had a concert and rapped, he rapped his heart out, but he didn't kill your daughter,"

"yes he did," The Creeper says. "and now he has to die, I already tried, I did a drive-by shooting and some stupid gothic chick got in the way and shoved him to the ground getting shot herself, she was that stupid popstar Gabi McCoy, she deserves to die along with Marshall Mathers,"

ok, Kendall then knew why Gabi lied saying she was some Starr Manning and he was Cole Thornhart. This was the same guy from the drive by and he obviously didn't recognize Gabi as Gabi, probably because she had her hair black so long. This Creeper could definitely not find out that Gabi was really Gabi, not a Starr Manning.

"your daughter, she loved Eminem and quoted him all the time," Kendall starts. "she would quote Lose Yourself and The Way I Am, you also said she quoted When I'm Gone, she told you that 'when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn, rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know I'm looking down on you smiling, don't feel no pain, baby don't feel no pain just smile back' looks like she was telling you that if she died young and before you, she wants you to carry on with your life, that she was watching over you and didn't want you to mourn, your daughter wouldn't want you to do this,"

**A/N: ok, i FINALLY was able to download clips of Big Time Rush onto my computer so i was able to make a Kendall and Gabi video to the song My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne. you should totally check it out. .com/watch?v=qCOfBLuUJd0 and you should just subscribe to me on youtube, i get bored a lot and make lots of videos. **


	24. Chapter 24

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 24

"this is Marshall,"

Marshall Mathers is driving down the street in LA on his way to his recording studio and record company, Shady Records. He was going to meet his rap group D-12 there but Kon Artist had something come up so they were going to meet another time.

"Marshall, its me," Paul Rosenberg says from the other end of the line.

Paul was Marshall's manager.

"Hey Paul," Marshall replies as he continues to drive. "if this is about the D-12 album for Proof, we haven't gotten to go over it yet,"

"no, its not about that," Paul replies to Marshall.

"ok, what is it then?" Marshall asks him.

"the VMA's are coming up, I got a call from MTV, they want you to open the show with Not Afraid and Love The Way You Lie, they also want Gabi there for Love The Way You Lie," Paul tells him. "are you interested?"

"yeah, I'm in," Marshall says. "I will have to talk to Gabi about it, but I will be there for Not Afraid, if she can't make it, I will perform 25 To Life, Going Through Changes or You're Never Over,"

Marshall then turns a corner and drives a block towards his record company, Shady Records and notices many police cars in front of it along with a police line holding civilians back. Marshall just looks at it in shock.

"ok, do you want me to call her or do you?" Paul asks him.

"yeah, I am going to have to call you back," Marshall tells him.

"wait, Marshall…"

Marshall flips his phone closed and drops it onto the passenger seat next to him in his car before he quickly parks on the side of the road and jumps out and rushes towards the police tape when an officer stops him.

"Sir, you can't go any farther," the officer tells him.

"you don't understand, that's my building," Marshall tells him.

"Sir, you can't go to work in that building at the moment," the officer tells him.

"no, I mean that is my building, I am Marshall Mathers, I own Shady Records," Marshall tells him.

the officer looks at Marshall confused.

"I'm Eminem, Slim Shady," Marshall tells him. "and I own that record company, what is going on,"

"shots were fired in the lobby," the officer tells him "four people are being held hostage in there, the rest of the building has been evacuated by SWAT,"

"who are the people in there?" Marshall asks him nervous.

"so far we have confirmed that there is one gunmen with a bomb strapped to him, and four hostages, we have identified some who work there, a receptionist, Pam Beesly, and three civilians, two look like teenagers,"

Marshall's heart then starts to speed up, Hailie and Whitney were supposed to meet him here in less then an hour.

"are any of them blonde?" Marshall asks nervous.

"one is," the officer tells him.

the only thing then on Marshall's mind is the fact that his daughter Hailie could be in there. At that moment, his whole life with her flashes before his eyes. Her being born, holding her the first time, the wedding where she was the flower girl where she refused to walk down the aisle until he proposed to Kim, her growing up in Detroit, when he flew her and Kim out to LA when he was recording with Dre.

"sir, do you know who one of them could be?" the officer asks him.

"my…my daughters, Hailie and Whitney were going to meet me here in less then an hour," Marshall tells him. "they might have come early,"

"dad,"

Marshall then turns around to see Hailie rushing over to him with Whitney right behind her. he lets out a sigh of relief, Hailie wasn't in there. She was safe. And so was Whitney.

He then rushes over to them and throws his arms around them pulling them into a big hug.

"oh my god, I am so happy your ok," he tells them.

"dad what is going on," Hailie asks him as he unhugs his daughters,

"what are you guys doing here?" Marshall asks them "you weren't supposed to be here for another hour,"

"mom dropped us off early," Hailie answers him. "right as we were about to go in the cops showed up,"

"ok, um… Hailie, I need you to take my car and drive Whitney home," Marshall instructs Hailie.

"what, why?" Hailie asks him. "what is going on,"

"Hailie, just please take your sister home," Marshall tells her.

"dad, just tell me what is going on," Hailie says.

"Hailie, please just do what I say," Marshall says to his middle daughter.

"Well, I can't take Whitney home," Hailie says as she crosses her arms. "I only have my learners permit, I can only drive with a parent or guardian in the car with me, and you have made it clear, that we are not allowed to break the law or do something which isn't right,"

"ok, Hailie, this is the one time I will allow you to break the law, just please take your sister home and call your mom," Marshall tells her. "please stay there until I come home,"

"dad, just tell us what is going on," Hailie says annoyed to her father.

"Hailie, just do what I say," Marshall tells her. "take Whitney home and call your mother, have her come over,"

"dad…" Hailie starts.

"Hailie Jade Scott," Marshall says getting mad.

Oh, the middle name. That was never good. (I just realized that I used the same name for Gabi's unborn baby, so when I say Hailie, I am referring to Marshall's daughter, Hailie Jade is Gabi's dead unborn daughter, I will not be using Marshall's daughters middle name anymore, just had to use it for that moment)

"ok, fine," Hailie says to her father. "where are the keys?"

"they're in the car," Marshall tells her.

Hailie then grabs Whitney's wrist.

"I am coming back after mom comes to get Whitney," Hailie says to her dad.

"no your not," Marshall tells her.

Hailie then walks over to the car with her little sister.

Marshall then takes a deep breath. He knew his daughters weren't in there. But who was in there?

The officer then walks over to him with a piece of paper in his hands.

"sir, the SWAT team has managed to get a photo taken of the two hostages," the officer says.

he then hands Marshall the piece of paper.

He takes it in his hands and just looks at it and sees two people who he recognizes as Kendall and Gabi.

"Damn it,"


	25. Chapter 25

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 25

The Creeper just looks at Kendall taking in his words.

'when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn, rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that I'm looking down on you smiling, don't feel no pain, baby don't feel no pain, just smile back,'

for a moment, Kendall and Gabi can see sorrow and remorse in his eyes. Like he is all of a sudden regretting what he is doing. His daughter did quote to 'just carry on, don't mourn, rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know I'm looking down on you smiling, don't feel no, baby don't feel no pain, just smile back' but, as soon as the sorrow and remorse came, it leaves his eyes and they become full of hate and hostitlity again.

God, this guy was not going to give up on hating and wanting to kill Marshall for something he had no control over. It was not Marshall's fault, all he did was hold a concert. He rapped for fans, how is that his fault for the death of this Creepers daughter?

"sir, please," Kendall says still trying to reason with him. "no one else here should have to get hurt,"

the Creeper just looks at him for a moment thinking if he should let this receptionist, Kendall and Gabi go and give up on his hunt for blood. He looks to Gabi and can see the fear in her big brown eyes as she continues to grip Kendall's arm as tears continue to cascade down her cheeks.

He then lowers his gun so the barrel is facing the ground.

"now, just walk out of here, no one else needs to get hurt," Kendall says calmly. "no one else innocent needs to get hurt in this,"

"tell me Cole Thornhart, what is it that you do for a living?" the Creeper asks Kendall.

He takes a deep breath before answering.

"I am an intern for Rocque Records," he lies.

Gabi already lied about their names because they both knew Marshall. He finds out that they are recording artists at Rocque Records, it wont take much for him to connect the dots and realize who they are.

"and you Miss Starr Manning," The Creeper says to her.

"I'm a college student," Gabi lies.

She was seventeen, so she could pass for a college student.

"and what are you studying?" the Creeper asks.

"criminal physcology," Gabi lies. "I am studying human behavior, so I…so I can profile the criminals and suspects for the FBI, specializing in obsessions, I can tell when they are lying, I can tell details about them just by their behavior, stuff that they haven't told people,"

"ok, profile me," the Creeper says.

wow, that was a stupid career path to say she was going in with this guy who was obviously mentally unstable in front of her.

"this is my first year," Gabi says. "I haven't gotten into much except studying the human brain,"

the Creeper just looks at Gabi for a moment trying to figure out if she is lying, telling the truth or what.

"Criminal profiler for the FBI," the Creeper says. "like on that one stupid show Criminal Minds,"

Gabi doesn't know how to reply so she just nods.

"huh…well, you Starr are way to sexy to waste your life locking up criminals when you could be do something much more fun," the Creeper says as he takes a step toward her and Kendall.

Kendall just glares at him knowing what the Creeper is thinking. There was no way in hell that was happening. That Creeper would have to shoot him twenty times until he either died or went paralyzed before he would let him get near Gabi. He would take any amount of bullets for her. he was not going to let this Creeper get a step closer.

"why don't you hold your boyfriend off and we can go somewhere and have some fun," the Creeper says.

Kendall continues his glare as Gabi just looks back really scared. She was almost to the breaking point in this. She already went through what this Creeper had in mind once with evil Justin. she did not need to go through this again.

"you are not going to touch her," Kendall says as he glares at the Creeper.

"and how are you going to stop me?" the Creeper asks.

At that moment, the phone on the receptionists desk starts to ring, causing the Creeper to get more tense. He drops his gaze at Gabi and looks to Pam, the receptionist.

"why the hell is that ringing?" he barks mad.

"that…that is probably a hostage negotiater," Pam says to him.

"damn it," the Creeper says. "ok, I want you three to move,"

he then motions for Pam to get up out of her seat at her desk and she does.

"go sit over their against the wall," the Creeper instructs. "and if any of you run to get away, ten bullets will go into the last ones head,"

Kendall backs up with Gabi still behind him and he continues to give the Creeper a death glare. Pam, the receptionist rushes over to the wall that the Creeper pointed to and she sits down and leans against it looking down.

Kendall backs up slowly not taking his eyes off the Creeper as he answers the phone.

"what?" the Creeper asks annoyed as he picks up the phone and talks into it.

"hello, this is District Attorney Richard Lansing," a voice says from the other end of the line. "I would like to know what it will take for this to end well and get all of the people in that lobby out alive,"

"depends," the Creeper says. "can you bring Marshall Mathers in here for me, and let me shoot and kill him,"

"sir, that I cant do," the District Attorney says. "will you please just let the hostages out?"

"why would I want to do that?" The Creeper asks him.

"because the people you have in there, Gabi McCoy, Kendall Knight and Pam Beesly, they are innocent," The District Attorney says. "they didn't do anything,"

"did you just say Gabi McCoy?"

**A/N: sorry i havent updated in a while, i hav been busy with school...it sucks...so anyway, four reviews and i will update and u should subscribe to me on youtube...**


	26. Chapter 26

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 26

The Creeper looks to where Gabi is, across the lobby leaning sitting against the wall. Kendall was next to her and gripping her hand in his and has his other arm around her, holding her close to him to help with the fear of this situation.

He then knew that Gabi wasn't this Starr Manning girl she said she was. She was not a college student who was studying criminal psychology and human behavior specializing in obsession. She was Gabi McCoy, singer/songwriter at Rocque Records, dated Kendall Knight of Big Time Rush, recorded Love The Way You Lie with Eminem/Marshall Mathers and was also a close friend of Marshall's. She was the one who shoved Marshall out of the line of gunfire and got shot herself. She was the reason Marshall was still alive at the moment.

The Creeper then looks to Kendall and realizes that he is not Cole Thornhart. An intern at Rocque Records. He was Kendall Knight, member of boy band Big Time Rush, used to date Gabi McCoy before the two split for unknown, unreleased reasons.

The Creeper then realizes a new way for him to get revenge on Marshall because he blames him of the death of his daughter, Cassie. Kill Gabi, then find Hailie, kill her too along with Whitney and Lainey.

He wanted to make Marshall hurt like he did. To love someone and care for them. Watch them grow up, take their first steps, hear them say their first words, teach them how to ride a bike, and them lose them.

He would kill Gabi first. She was already in front of him and it would be the easiest because he had a gun already. She wasn't Marshall's daughter at all, but they were really close and rumor has it that she looks up to him like a father figure.

Whitney would be next. She was his adopted stepdaughter, also the youngest. She wasn't his but she called him 'dad'. She was his youngest, only eleven. Marshall got custody of her when she was two. That would break him. Losing his youngest daughter.

Then Lainey. He and Kim raised her after Kim's sister Dawn bailed on her not to long before Hailie was born. He and Kim were already expecting a child, so they took in as their own and Marshall definitely loved her like his own. Biological or not, Lainey was one of his 'baby girls,'

Then he would go after Hailie last. Marshall's only biological daughter. The inspiration for his raps. The girl behind Mockingbird, When I'm Gone, Hailie's Song, Going Through Changes, 97 Bonnie and Clyde, and My Dad's Gone Crazy. The whole reason he wanted to succeed in rap. So he could give her a better life. A hell of a lot better then his with his alcoholic drug addicted mom and all those shootouts and that crap happening up in 8 Mile. According to him, she deserved a lot better.

Perfect revenge.

"Yes sir, I did say Gabi McCoy," the District Attorney says.

A smile then creeps across the Creepers face.

"Perfect," he says before slamming the phone down.

He then glares at Gabi across the room causing Kendall to hold her closer to him and glare back at the Creeper.

The Creeper then looks to Pam.

"You, get over here," The Creeper yells to Pam.

She just looks back scared not knowing what to do.

"I said get over here," The Creeper yells again.

Pam then quickly gets up and to her feet. The Creeper walks over to her. He puts his hand to the back of her neck and walks her over to the front door.

Kendall glances to the hallway again thinking about how fast he could make a break for it with Gabi and get somewhere down there, like out an emergency exit or something. He just knew he needed to get her away from this Creeper. It would not end well for her if he didn't get her out of there, which he knew he had to do.

"Don't even think about it," The Creeper calls out to Kendall "I will blow your girlfriends head off if you even try,"

"What are our chances?" Gabi whispers to Kendall scared.

"Certain," Kendall whispers calmly to the girl he loved. "You are getting out of here alive, I promise you that and I will make sure of it,"

The Creeper then walks to the front door of Shady Records with Pam. As soon as he gets to the door, he opens it, shoves her out and closes it again. SWAT team members outside then rush over to her and grab her and take her behind the police tape.

That could not mean anything good. He just got rid of Pam, which means he only wanted Kendall and Gabi for hostages, and he could possibly know who they really are.

The Creeper then turns around and faces them as he walks toward them.

"So, Starr Manning," he says as he walks over. "What university do you go to here in the lovely Los Angeles,"

Before Gabi can even open her mouth to come up with a lie, the Creeper speaks again.

"You don't go to one," the Creeper says. "Because you are not Starr Manning, and he is not Cole Thornhart, he is that Kendall guy from that band Big Time Rush, and you are miss Gabi McCoy, close personal friends with Marshall Mathers, the man who killed my baby girl,"

Kendall continues to glare at him.

"You pushed Marshall out of the line of fire to save his sorry ass," the Creeper yells "he should have died,"

He then points his gun to her.

"Get up now, get your ass over here," the Creeper instructs her.

Gabi just looks back scared not knowing what to do.

"Do it now," The Creeper yells "or I will blow his head off,"

Gabi hesitantly gets up. She already almost got Kendall killed once when he got stabbed almost a year ago. As much as she did kind of hate him, she couldn't get him killed. A human life wasn't worth it.

The Creeper then grabs her by her blonde hair and drags her over to the middle of the lobby and Kendall stands up also and the Creeper points his gun to him.

"Don't move popstar," he says through gritted teeth.

"I swear to god, you hurt one hair on that blonde head of hers, and I will murder you with my bare hands," Kendall says mad.

"I wouldn't mouth off to the one with the gun," the Creeper tells him.

He then shoves Gabi to the ground and she lands on her stomach and quickly roles over on her back to see herself staring at the barrel of a gun.

"Yeah, well I just did," Kendall says to him as he walks over ignoring the fact that the Creeper then points the gun to him from Gabi.

"you are asking to get yourself shot," the Creeper says. "so why don't you just sit down over there and save your own life and not worry about the girl over here who hates your guts and has made it clear to the world,"

"just let her go," Kendall says to him. "she didn't do anything except take a bullet for a man who you were about to gun down for some stupid reason,"

"do you really want to insult the man pointing the gun at you," The Creeper asks him.

"yeah," Kendall answers him. "because you are going to have to shoot me and kill me before I let you anywhere near her,"

"wow, you are willing to die for her even though she hates you," The Creeper says.

"I don't care that she hates me," Kendall says to the Creeper. "I mean of course I care that she hates me, I wish she didn't, but I will do whatever it takes to protect her, because that is the girl that I love more then anything, and I would rather die for her before I sit back and watch anyone kill her,"

as more tears cascade from Gabi's eyes, she just takes in what Kendall just said. He still loved her a lot, even after how awful and mean she has been to him and never let him explain what happened. He still loved her more then anything.

She then knew that if she and Kendall somehow did make it out of here alive, she would let him explain everything that he needed to explain. She would listen to what he had to say and they could try to work everything out. They just needed to get out of here alive.

"so, you are willing to die for her," The Creeper asks him. "lets see if you jump in front of this bullet,"

the Creeper then cocks the gun and points it back towards Gabi.

at that moment, a gunshot rings out.


	27. Chapter 27

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 27

Gabi closes her eyes as the gunshot rings out. She waits for either her to be in searing pain at the feeling of another bullet piercing her flesh and entering her body or hearing Kendall fall to the ground bleeding out or yell at the Creeper for shooting either him or her. But she hears none of that.

So she opens her eyes expecting to see herself bleeding from the bullet. She didn't feel it the first time when she got shot, so, why feel it this time? But as soon as she opens her eyes, instead of seeing herself bleeding, she sees the Creeper slump to his knees before falling over onto the floor face first and the gun is released from his hand making a clattering noise as it hits the tile floor.

Gabi sees Kendall staring at the lounge area behind her to see the guy who was also in there that looked like he had some job that required a college degree or high school diploma was leaning on the sofa, using the backrest of it to steady his hands, and in them, he held a black gun, similar to the one that the Creeper had.

The man then drops it and it falls to the floor with a thud.

"Damn, next time I come to visit Obie from Detroit, I better make sure to do it not at a record label," the man says. "And next time I wont wear this monkey suit and shave for no reason,"

Kendall quickly then looks back to Gabi who is still crying and in shock at what had just happened, so he quickly rushes over to her and bends down and holds her in his arms as she cries. He knew that this was probably the last time he would ever be able to hold her in his arms, after this was over, he expected her to hate him again. But he didn't care. She was so close to losing her life today.

So was he.

He just needed to savor the moment; the last moment she would be his to hold.

At that moment, SWAT team guys burst through the front door with their guns in hand and wearing all their body armor.

"Clear," the head one yells as he sees the Creeper lying on the ground in his own blood pool.

Some of the SWAT team lower their guns as they rush in. a few go over to the Creepers body and one checks the pulse after scooting his gun away.

"He's gone," the SWAT guy says.

A few then go over to Gabi and Kendall while one goes over to the other guy in the lobby.

"Yo, he was about ready to shoot that chick, I had to shoot him dawg," the guy says to the SWAT guys as they walk over to him. "I wasn't just gonna let her get shot for no reason,"

"Are both of you ok?" a SWAT guy asks Kendall.

Kendall looks up at him and nods.

"Yeah, I think so," Kendall answers him.

Twenty minutes later, after the police had gotten Kendall, Gabi's and the other guy's statements about what had happened, the paramedics had to make sure that they were ok also, so Gabi sits on the bench on the back of an ambulance with a paramedic taking her blood pressure. Her cheeks are stained with tears and she is still freaking out about what had recently just happened.

She was almost shot again. The first time wasn't fun. She definitely put 'getting shot' on the list of things that you only want to do once before die. Preferably not at all though. That would be best. Even though she didn't feel it the time she did get shot, she felt it when she woke up in the hospital from the stitches and pain of the whole thing.

Gabi's thoughts and memories of her near death experience that happened less then an hour ago when Marshall walks over to her.

"How you feeling?" he asks her.

"Still shaken up," Gabi replies to him without looking up from her gaze on her black converse shoe. Her eyes fixed on word 'Forever' written in black sharpie on the white part of the toe. Kendall wrote it. He wrote it right after he promised he would love her forever.

After the breakup, Marshall said it was best if she got rid of all the stuff that reminded her of him. But she could not throw out her converse. She didn't know why but she just couldn't bring herself to get rid of them. It just didn't feel right.

"I am so sorry about all this stuff that has been going on," Marshall tells her.

Gabi looks up at him.

"It isn't your fault," she tells him. "You don't need to apologize,"

Marshall just looks at her.

"Gabi, you got shot pushing me out of the line of fire," Marshall tells her. "And you were just held hostage in my record company, I think that this is my fault,"

"Well it isn't," Gabi replies to him "I was in there because I went in there, and you can't control who walks through the front door of Shady Records,"

Marshall just looks at her, before he can say anything, Hailie comes rushing over.

"Gabi, oh my god, I am so happy you are ok," she says as she rushes over to her.

Hailie quickly engulfs Gabi in a hug and Gabi hugs Hailie back. She did hang out with Hailie before when she was working with her dad. They got along great. But after Gabi broke up with Kendall and went all Goth, she also went anti social. So she didn't hang out with anyone. Right after the break up, she stayed in her apartment at the Palm Woods watching reruns of The Office, LOST, and One Tree Hill until she moved out of there.

"Hailie, what the heck are you doing here," Marshall asks her mad making sure to say heck instead of hell. He never liked to swear in front of his daughters. "I thought I told you to take your sister home and call your mom and wait until I got there,"

"I took Whitney home," Hailie replies to her father as she unhugs Gabi. "I called mom and she is there now with her, don't worry,"

"Hailie, you don't have your license, I told you to drive her home and stay there until I got there," Marshall says to her.

Gabi doesn't pay attention to what Marshall and Hailie say next. She just stares forward and sees Kendall talking to a paramedic not to far away.

She needed to talk to him. They needed to talk. Everything needed to be fixed. Everything was all her fault. She pushed away the only person who has ever cared about her besides her brother who she thought was dead and needed to find.

Gabi is about ready to get off the back of the ambulance and go over to him when she sees the other hostage Pam holding a little girl.

At that moment Gabi freezes. Pam just holds her baby girl in her arms crying so happy to be able to hold her and that she didn't die while she was being held hostage. Gabi instinctively puts her hand to her flat stomach that once had her unborn daughter, Hailie Jade in it.

Then she hears Marshall and Hailie start to argue and Marshall uses her full name, Hailie Jade Scott.

Wow…she just now noticed that she named her unborn daughter the same name as Marshall's daughter Hailie who was arguably one of her only friends besides Marshall.

Anyway, Gabi just stares at Pam holding her small infant daughter and she feels that pain in her heart again. Like there is a giant piece missing. She missed Hailie Jade so much right now.

Gabi forces herself to look away from Pam and her daughter and forces her thoughts of what could have been out of her head. She looks back over to Kendall.

He looks her way and their eyes meet. They just look at each other for a moment before Kendall turns around and walks away, leaving Gabi there.


	28. Chapter 28

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 28

The next day, Gabi sits in her apartment on the sofa and stares at the pile of scripts that lie in front of her. she had Josh pick up a bunch and drop them off for her. she needed money to help Dante, acting could get her that. she was in a lot of school plays and stuff back in Brinnon so she had acting ability. she also had all those songs she wrote when she was in that gothic stage in front of her. I Don't Give A Damn, The Best Damn Thing, Can't Be Tamed, and all the other ones that weren't her style anymore.

She figured she could sell them to someone like Miley Cyrus or something, that could get her some money.

There were just stacks and stacks of TV and movie scripts lying next to the songs. Starting an acting career could also be a good thing. She wanted to get her mind off of Kendall. She wanted to talk to him, but she was now afraid too.

He was ready to die for her, he was ready to take a bullet for her. he still loved her. she really needed to talk to him. hear what he has to say, but, when their eyes met yesterday, he walked away.

Did that mean he didn't want to work things out with her anymore. That he had given up on trying to get her back?

Gabi reaches down and grabs the first script up off the coffee table. The Last Song. They were finally making a movie out of it. Gabi read that book back in junior high and it was one of her favorites by Nicholas Sparks, he was her favorite author.

Gabi flips it open and sees the two roles Josh highlighted for her that she should think about auditioning for. Ronnie of course, the lead, and then Blaze, her friend she meets at the small town she goes to over the summer.

Gabi then sets that script down and grabs a different with the General Hospital logo clearly printed on the front. She flips it open and highlighted for the role she would audition for was Kristina Corinthos-Davis, apparently, the current actress wanted off contract so she could go do a movie instead of being a soap star.

She then skims through the current storyline that they have for Kristina. After reading it, she quickly shuts the script and puts it down. Her storyline was she had a abusive boyfriend and he soon was going to beat her so badly that she had to be hospitalized.

She did not need to relive abuse again.

Gabi quickly grabs the next One Life To Live script. They were recasting Danielle Rayburn, current actress wanted out and they were doing a huge musical storyline in a month where Danielle would be singing a lot.

Next was Pretty Little Liars, they were finally turning that book series into a TV show, all the main roles were highlighted. Spencer, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and even Mona.

Gabi moves that script around on the table and as she grabs the next one for Charlie St. Cloud as Tess when a piece of paper falls out from between that script and Band Slam and lands on one for Days Of Our Lives. Gabi picks up the piece of paper and then grabs the Days Of Our Lives script and flips it open.

The role was Mia McCormick. Current actress was leaving the show to persue better opportunities. Josh had written page seven and circled it so Gabi quickly flips the page to page seven.

_**Nicole walks over to the bars of the jail cell.**_

_**Nicole (nervous): Mia, hi**_

_**Mia looks back at Nicole disgusted**_

_**Nicole: I know this looks bad, but don't worry, I will be out of here soon, I'll explain everything later, have you talked to Sami yet?**_

_**Mia glares at Nicole and shakes her head. **_

_**Nicole: What about EJ?**_

_**Mia shakes her head again**_

_**Nicole: ok…Mia…I…I really need your help, otherwise we could lose our little girl and it could be forever**_

_**Mia (in tears): she's already lost**_

_**Nicole: no, no, no, Mia, don't say that, we will get her back, trust me, but you have to do exactly what I say, ok?**_

_**Mia continues to glare at Nicole**_

_**Nicole: Sami has your baby, but we can get her back, but we just have to work together, ok, but it has to be soon otherwise we will lose our baby girl, but I have a plan, If you do what I say, it will work out, you could hold your baby again Mia**_

_**Mia (in tears and mad): my baby is dead, I will never, ever be able to hold her again because of you!**_

_**Mia wipes her eyes before she continues her death glare at Nicole**_

_**Mia: How long were you going to hide it from me, Nicole? Forever, like nothing was wrong, you never had to tell the truth**_

_**Nicole (calming and reassuring): sweetheart, if we just work together, we can get Sydney back…**_

_**Mia interrupts Nicole.**_

_**Mia: stop, nobody cares about your lies anymore, Sami knows Sydney is her baby, not mine**_

_**Nicole: we could still get Sydney back**_

_**Mia (mad and in tears): Sydney belongs with Sami, Sami is her mother, she always has been, and my baby was Grace and she's dead, she died because of you**_

_**Nicole: no, no, Mia, you know I had nothing to do with Grace getting sick**_

_**Mia (almost sobbing): here's what I know, you helped me have my baby, Grace, and you took her.**_

_**Mia pauses and takes a deep breath**_

_**Mia (Mad): you promised me, you promised me you would give her a wonderful life because I couldn't and you just give her away, you traded her for Sami's baby, you never cared about Grace at all**_

_**Nicole: that is not true, I did care, I thought what I was doing was the right thing,**_

_**Mia (bitterly): my baby is dead because of you**_

Gabi couldn't read anymore of it without bursting into tears. Whoever this Mia girl was, she was a teenager who apparently had a baby and then gave her and then she died. That just made her miss Hailie Jade even more.

She glances to her phone on the coffee table before grabbing it and dialing a number.

"hey, its me, can you come over, I really need to talk,"


	29. Chapter 29

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 29

There is a knock on Gabi's apartment door and she goes over to answer it. On the other side is Marshall and Hailie.

"Hey," Hailie says.

"Thanks for coming," Gabi says she steps aside while Hailie walks in.

"Ok, Hailie, I will be at the studio from now until seven tonight, if you want to come home before that, call your mom, she and Whitney are lounging today at her house, not really doing anything," Marshall tells Hailie. "And remember, I do not want you taking a cab back home,"

"Ok, bye dad," Hailie says to Marshall.

Marshall nods and turns around Gabi closes the door.

"Why doesn't he want you to take a cab back home?" Gabi asks as she and Hailie go and sit on the sofa in her living room.

"He watched CSI New York and he saw the episode about the Cabbie Killer," Hailie says as she sits down. "A show which he still doesn't like that I watch, what's with all the scripts, Days Of Our Lives, General Hospital, One Life To Live, Charlie St. Cloud, The Last Song?"

"I think I might be starting a film career," Gabi replies.

"Lucky, my dad wont let me be anywhere near the spotlight, he says that I cannot be famous," Hailie tells her.

Gabi sits down next to her.

"He is just being protective of you," Gabi replies. "He wants you to live a normal life, not be hounded for autographs like he is, he became Eminem for you and Lainey, he wants you to have the best, normal life possible,"

"I know," Hailie says. "I am grateful for everything he has given Lainey, Whitney and I, but sometimes I wish he wasn't so protective, I am not allowed to even listen to most of his music,"

"Well, that is kind of understandable," Gabi replies. "he doesn't rap about the nicest things,"

"yeah, but still, I would love to hear his music, I have only heard Mockingbird and When I'm Gone, those are the only full songs I have heard," Hailie says. "I have heard bits and pieces of his other ones, I have heard you part of Love The Way You Lie, I have heard a tiny bit of Lose Yourself, the chorus of The Real Slim Shady, and Without Me, but I am not allowed to listen to full songs besides Mockingbird and When I'm Gone, and they have to be the edited versions,"

"well, those are two of his best songs anyways," Gabi tells her.

"I remember the first time I heard Mockingbird," Hailie says. "I was ten and it was six months after the song came out, everyone at school knew that I was his daughter and wouldn't stop talking about that song, after two weeks of constant begging, I finally convinced him to let me listen to it, first full song I heard by him. I burst into tears by the time it got to the second verse, the song was all about me and Lainey and how much he loved us, he also cried, I cant even hear that song without crying and neither can he,"

"well, he loves you and your sisters, he would do anything for you guys," Gabi tells her. "I wish I had a father who cared so much,"

"what really happened between you and your parents?" Hailie asks her.

"do think your dad would like me telling you every detail about what happened?" Gabi asks. "he might not want you hearing about this sort of stuff,"

"don't worry about that, my mom is way more easy going and laid back, she doesn't worry as much as he does," Hailie tells her. "so tell me what happened,"

"well, as you know, I was pregnant," Gabi tells her. "it wasn't by choice, back in my hometown, I had an abusive boyfriend, if you would even call him a boyfriend, anyway, to make a very long pathetic story short, I was pregnant, my parents disowned me, then got beaten to the point where I lost my unborn baby girl,"

Hailie just looks at her sympathetically.

"that had to be hard," she says.

"it was," Gabi replies. "but anyway, I don't think about that stuff anymore, I am trying to move on, so anyway, how are you dance classes going, learn any cool new routines,"

Hailie looks to Gabi before speaking.

"no Offense, Gab, but, you didn't call me and have me come over so we could talk about my personal life, as much as I love to talk about myself, but I know that's not why you called me," Hailie tells her. "Gabi, what's going on,"

"I really need to talk to someone," Gabi says. "and you and your dad are the only real friends I have, we used to be pretty close after I recorded that song with him, I just need a girl to talk to, not a father figure,"

"ok, whatever is bothering you, I am all ears," Hailie tells her.

"its about Kendall," Gabi says.

Hailie looks at her.

"your ex who you were stuck in a lobby with by some crazed gunmen who had a grudge against my dad?" Hailie asks. "that Kendall,"

"yeah," Gabi replies. "that Kendall,"

"ok, tell me what is on your mind, what is it with Kendall," Hailie says.

Gabi takes a deep breath before speaking.

"I think…I think I still love him," Gabi tells her. "I think that…I think that I am still head over heels in love with him,"

"what's stopping you from telling him that?" Hailie asks. "but more importantly, what broke you guys up?"

"I caught him with another girl," Gabi tells her. "they were doing stuff that your dad would not want me telling you about,"

"so you caught him cheating, and you broke up?" Hailie asks her.

"yeah," Gabi replies. "and ever since he keeps telling me that it isn't what it looks like, ever since, I have refused to talk to him, not be anywhere near him, and as you can tell, I went Goth for a while,"

"what makes you want to fix things with him?" Hailie asks.

"yesterday…when we were stuck in there with that crazy guy, he was about ready to kill me, then Kendall…he stood up almost getting himself killed and told the gunmen…he told the gunmen that I was the girl he loved and he would any amount of bullets for me," Gabi tells her.

Hailie just looks at Gabi before glancing at the coffee table at Gabi's cell phone. She then grabs it and hands it to her.

"call him,"

Gabi just looks at Hailie for a moment thinking about it.

"Call him," Hailie tells Gabi "I don't have any dating experience, but, if a guy loves you enough to take a bullet for you and die for you, he is either an adrenaline junkie or he really loves you and cares about you. If a guy was willing to take a bullet for me and die for me, I would definitely want to hear what he had to say, and if he claims that it isn't what it looked like, you should listen,"

Gabi looks at her phone in her hand thinking about what Hailie had just said.

"I have never been shot before, but I hear its highly painful," Hailie tells her. "and I don't really think anyone would want to get shot, if he is willing to take a bullet for you, he must really love and care about you, I would definitely date a guy who was willing to take a bullet for me, but, my dad still wont let me date, he says I cant date until I graduate, but, my mom says as soon as I'm sixteen, I can and she will talk to my dad, but anyway, Gabi, you need to call him, you need to work things out, as Whitney said before, you two are just adorable together,"

"So, what, I call him and we work it out over the phone?" Gabi asks her.

"No," Hailie answers her. "you call, have him over, and you two work it out,"

"I cant," Gabi says. "you're here, it would be rude to invite my ex boyfriend over while I am hanging out with you,"

"by the time he is here, my mom will have picked me up already and I will be gone," Hailie tells her.

before Gabi can protest, Hailie grabs the phone back from Gabi and clicks the button marked 'contacts' goes into her contact list and scrolls down to the K section.

"you still have his number," Hailie says.

"yeah," Gabi says. "I have been busy and haven't had the time to delete numbers from my phone,"

"sure you did," Hailie says.

she clicks a button on the phone and hands it to Gabi.

"it's ringing," she tells her.

Gabi puts the phone up to her ear and takes a deep breath and lets it out nervous, hoping that it will go straight to voice mail so she can hang up and not talk to him. she would do that right now, but Hailie would probably kill her for that.

And Hailie had a huge point, if a guy is willing to get shot for you, he must really love and care about you, or he is an adrenaline junkie. And she didn't remember Kendall being an adrenaline junkie. He was more competitive, Logan was the adrenaline junkie.

"hello,"

Gabi closes her eyes and takes another deep breath before speaking.

"hey, its me,"

"Gabi?"

"yeah, Gabi,"

Hailie looks at her giving her the 'move on with it' look.

"um…I know you are probably busy, something with Gustavo or Carlos, James or Logan, or something," Gabi says.

"no, I am not busy, is everything ok?" Kendall asks her.

"I um…I need to talk to you about something," Gabi says. "how…how soon can you meet me at my place?"

"I'll leave right now," Kendall says. "I'll be there within ten minutes, but is everything ok?"

"yeah, I just really need to talk to you," Gabi replies.

"ok, I am on my way," Kendall says.

Gabi then hangs up her phone and puts it on the coffee table.

"I really hope you're right," she tells Hailie.

Hailie nods.

"don't worry, I am," she tells her.

**A/N: ok, for facts, i am not sure if Hailie has heard any of Marshall's songs, i dont think he would let her listen to them becasue of how protective he is of her, but i do know for a fact, that Marshall can not listen to Mockingbird without tearing up. he said so in his autobiography The Way I Am, anyway, four reviews and i will update**


	30. Chapter 30

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 30

for the second time in the past hour, there is a knock on Gabi's front door.

Gabi walks towards it with Hailie right behind.

"trust me on this," Hailie tells her. "everything will be fine, he cares, and just hear what he has to say, and I will be here tomorrow around noon after my morning dance class and you will tell me how it went,"

"ok, thanks," Gabi tells her.

they walk over to the front door and Hailie opens it to see Kendall on the other side, just like she and Gabi expected.

"hi," Hailie says.

she turns to Gabi and grabs her phone from her pocket.

"my mom just texted me, she is here, I will see you tomorrow," Hailie says before walking out the door past Kendall.

Kendall just looks at Gabi and his green eyes meet her brown ones and there is one of those awkward silences. It was so hard for Kendall to fight the urge he had to kiss her. that was totally ruin the progress they have been making. She could now be in the same room as him and she knew that he still loved her, more then anything and would die for her and take any amount of bullets for her.

"hey," Kendall says not knowing what else to say. "you look great, considering what happened yesterday,"

Gabi just nods not knowing how to respond or even bring up what they needed to talk about.

"why don't you come in," she finally says.

she steps aside and Kendall walks in her apartment and Gabi closes the door behind him.

"you are probably wondering what I need to talk to you about and why I umm…I asked you over," Gabi says as they walk further into her apartment.

She and Kendall then sit down on the sofa, they same place she and Hailie had been sitting right as Gabi called him twenty minutes earlier.

"not really," Kendall answers her. "I am just happy you are speaking to me,"

Gabi takes yet another deep breath and lets it out.

"yesterday, before the crazy guy came into Shady Records…you said that…you said that you never wanted to hurt me, the conversation we were about to have…I think we should finish it," Gabi says. "I am ready to hear what you have to say…and I wont interrupt you or speak unless you ask me something, I will listen. Yesterday, I almost got shot again, I almost died again, you were willing to get shot for me, you were willing to die for me, the least I could do is let you explain what you have been trying to explain to me for the past four months, and I know that it has been four months, and you might really hate me now, and not even care…"

"Gabs, did you even listen to what I told that creeper yesterday?" Kendall asks her. "I told him that you were the girl that I loved and if he was going to kill you, he would have to kill me first,"

"ok, just please tell me what happened," Gabi says. "tell me what I saw wasn't what it looked like,"

"honestly, all I know about what happened is what you told Gabs," Kendall tells her.

Gabi just looks at him confused.

"what…what are you talking about?" Gabi asks him confused.

"that day four months ago, I was sitting by the pool with James, I don't remember what we were talking about, but James noticed this girl across the pool, she was new to the Palm Woods," Kendall tells her. "James waved, so she started walking over, he was going to flirt with her so I was getting ready to leave, I didn't want to be around, she walked up to me, introduced herself, I told her I had a place to be, hoping she would get the hint that there was no way I was interested, she started flirting with me, I wanted nothing to do with her, I was getting ready to leave when James pulled me aside and yelled at me for taking his chance with that girl, Brook Lynn from Bensonsomething, that is the last thing I remember, I woke up the next morning with a killer headache and no memory of the night before. I had no idea what happened until you yelled at me saying you saw me with another girl, after you slammed your front door in my face, I went down to the pool, found Brook Lynn, she was talking to Camille, I went over to her pist asked her what the hell she slipped me, she said nothing and said that I was all over her which I wasn't, I love you and would never do anything to hurt you Gabs,"

Gabi just looks at him with tears in her eyes.

"that's what happened," Kendall tells her. "I didn't cheat on you, a drugged up guy who couldn't stand up straight did, who had no idea what was happening and would never cheat on you, the whole time we were together, you were the only girl I was thinking about, the only girl I wanted to be with, the only girl I would daydream about,"

Gabi stays quiet for a moment as a few tears fall.

"two days after I broke up with you, I was sitting in my apartment," Gabi says. "just watching The Office and hoping Dwight being Dwight would get my mind off of it, I was at the point in the one episode where Stanley had the heart attack and they were learning CPR and Dwight cut open the dummy and cut off the face when she showed up, she said a week ago, when I told you I wasn't ready for sex yet that you went to her, she said you could solve your problem and that you have been sleeping together ever since,"

Kendall looks at Gabi and sees how hurt she is.

"I didn't go to her," Kendall tells her. "I didn't meet her until the day that you said you walked in on us and I had no memory of it, I have not been sleeping with her, I promise you that,"

"so, you were drugged or something and just have no memory?" Gabi asks him as more tears fall from her brown eyes.

"yeah," Kendall tells her. "I would never hurt you, none of that would have happened if wasn't drugged by her,"

Gabi closes her eyes as tears cascade down her cheeks. Kendall puts his arm around her and kisses the top of her head lightly.

"now, you can hate me forever," Kendall tells her.

"I don't want to hate you forever,"


	31. Chapter 31

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 31

"what did we just do?"

"I think we…"

"yeah, I know what we did, no need to repeat it,"

Kendall looks to Gabi who is lying next to him with blankets wrapped around her body.

"ok, correct me if I am wrong, but I did not pressure you at all during that," Kendall says. "because you seemed really…"

"yeah, I know," Gabi interrupts him. "I know what we did and I know I was not pressured at all, I wanted to do that, I was with you a hundred percent,"

"then why did you ask if that really happened?" Kendall asks her as he looks down at her big brown eyes.

"because, um…are we really ready for this Kendall?" Gabi asks him as she looks up into his green eyes.

"what do you mean?" Kendall asks her confused.

"Kendall, we just slept together," Gabi says as she looks at him from where she lays next to him. "and it was like an four hours after we got back together and I finally listened to what you have been trying to tell me for the past four months, I finally know what really happened and that you love me and never did cheat, it was a drugged up guy who did,"

"all you had to do was say no when we were getting to that point," Kendall tells her.

"I know, I take responsiblity for what just happened, I didn't try to stop it," Gabi replies. "I…I just…are we ready for that type of a relationship? We are only seventeen, and even though on One Tree Hill, Nathan and Haley got married at sixteen, they don't really have the same background as we do, you are not a spoiled basketball player who hates his half brother and I am not a smart tutor best friends with your brother who you hate, and I am pretty sure California has a law that you have to be eighteen or older."

"ok, out of all you just said and rambled on about, I didn't really get all of it, just something about responsibility and Nathan and Haley on One Tree Hill and basketball and a smart tutor," Kendall says as he looks at her.

"ok, to make it less complicated, I take responsibility for what we did also, and I did not try to stop it," Gabi tells him. "I am just wondering if we are ready for that type of a relationship, I mean, I just got used to being around a guy knowing that when he says he loves me, he means it and wont show it by hitting me, he shows me he loves me by not hitting me or using physical violence,"

Kendall looks into her chocolate brown eyes and thinks about what she just said. Are they ready for that type of a relationship. They did just take a huge step. After four months of her hating him, she finally listened to what he had to say on what happened that made them break up and what tore them apart.

"what do you think?" he asks her.

"I don't know," Gabi answers him. "that's why I asked you,"

Kendall takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"um…I don't know," he tells her.

"then… did we…did we just make a mistake?" Gabi asks him nervous.

"I think it was only a mistake if you want it to be a mistake," Kendall says.

"ok, then it wasn't a mistake," Gabi says. "because I love you, and I know you love me,"

"I do love you," Kendall tells her. "don't ever worry about that changing, I will love you forever, and I am counting on forever,"

Gabi then looks at the digital clock on her bedside table and it reads eleven PM. She then looks back to Kendall.

"what's wrong?" Kendall asks her.

"its past eleven, aren't you friends going to be wondering where you are, not including your mom who is probably freaking that you aren't home and its past your curfew," Gabi says. "she freaked when you were five minutes late last time we went out over four months ago,"

"its late," Kendall tells her. "my mom always told me to never drive when I'm tired at night, that it was an accident waiting to happen, so for my safety, and the other drivers out there, I think its best if I stay here with you for the night,"

"your mom will kill you," Gabi says. "she never really liked the fact that you and I got together after what I went through, she thought that I wasn't good enough for you,"

"I will be eighteen in two months," Kendall tells her. "my mom cant control my life and who I date and who I am with, just don't worry about it, ok, unless you want me to leave, then I will"

"I don't want you to leave," Gabi says. "I don't know why, I just don't,"

"ok, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Kendall tells her. "but it is getting pretty late and you look really tired, you should probably get some sleep,"

Gabi nods as she yawns. She scoots her body closer to his and rests her head on his chest listening to his heart beat as she closes her eyes. Kendall just smiles and puts his arm around her knowing how lucky he is to have Gabi in his arms again and he was never going to let her go.

"I love you," Gabi says.

"I love you too," Kendall replies.


	32. Chapter 32

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 32

Dante McCoy leans against the wall of his concrete prison just thinking about how if he doesn't talk and give these terrorists what they want, Gabi's blood will he on his hands.

He did not want his baby sister to die because of him. he refused to let that happen. He hasn't seen her in two years. All he knew on what had happened to her was what his capturer has told him and there was no way of knowing if that was the truth or not. For all he knew, Gabi could be living in Pensylvania married to some beat farmer like Dwight. Or even Chuck Norris or that Justin Bieber person.

The last time he talked to her was that phone call a few days before he went up in the helicopter that was going down and refused to leave his superior so he was pushed out.

They said that Gabi recorded a song with Eminem. Dante knew that that was his sisters dream, well, besides working with the talented Michael Jackson, he knew that she would litraly die if that happened. But, sadly, Michael Jackson was dead and she would never have the chance to work with him.

But still, how did they know all that stuff about Gabi? They were in the middle of nowhere in Iraq. Iraq wasn't the richest country in the world. How could they have computer hackers like they said they did, a hacker that knew every detail about his sisters life, who even had a copy of her ultrasound picture when she was pregnant.

If she was pregnant.

There was no way to tell who was telling the truth here. There was no way to know what these guys really knew about her. but how did they even know they existed.

Dante's thoughts were interrupted when he sees the same soldier (who is named Sayid) that always come and take him into the interrogation room walk in with the intterogater right behind him. Dante just looks back glaring at them with his dark brown eyes hoping to intimidate them and make them not want to mess with him or Gabi.

The interogater walks in with a brown cardboard box in his hands. as he puts it down he pulls out a small CD player that ran off battery. The only thing on Dante's mind was how the hell they got one.

The interrogator says nothing as he hits a button and the room is filled with music to a song Dante didn't recognize at all.

"what the hell is this?" he asks annoyed.

Before the interrogator or soldier can answer him, he hears Gabi's voice.

I've always been the kind of girl  
that hid my face

_So afraid to tell the world  
__What I've got to say  
__But I have this dream  
__Right inside of me  
__Now its time to show  
__To let you know  
__To let you know_

_This is real  
__This is me  
__This is exactly where I'm supposed to be  
__Now I'm gonna let the light  
__Shine on me  
__Now I've found  
__Who I am  
__There's no way to hold it in  
__No more hiding who I want to be  
__This is me_

"recognize that voice McCoy, that is your baby sister," the interrogator says. "that is the first single off her album Me Against The World, one of her most famous songs, what made her,"

Dante just glares at him not saying a word.

"well McCoy, this sister of your has an amazing voice," Sayid says trying to annoy Dante.

_You're the voice I hear  
__Inside my head  
__The reason that I'm singing  
__I need to find you  
__I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need  
__The song inside of me  
__I need to find you  
__I gotta find you_

"and that would be her boyfriend," the interrogator says. "Kendall Knight,"

he clicks a button on the CD player switching it to another song.

Sometimes I couldn't hear what  
_You tried to tell me  
__Thought I knew all I need to know  
__I didn't understand that  
__The doors you would open  
__Could take me somewhere  
__I needed to go_

_I can be strong for you now  
__You taught me how_

_I learned from you  
__That I will not crumble  
__I learned that strength  
__Is something you choose  
__All of the reasons  
__I keep on believing  
__There's no question  
__That's a lesson  
__I learned from you_

"That is the song she wrote for her boyfriend who helped her out during her pregnancy and the fact that she thought you were dead," the interrogator says. "next, lets hear the song she recorded with Eminem,"

Sayid hits the next button

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
But that's alright because I like the way it hurts  
_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
__But that's alright because I love the way you lie  
__I love the way you lie_

_I cant tell you what it really is  
__I can only tell you what it feels like  
__And right now  
__There's a steel knife in my windpipe  
__I cant breathe but I'll still fight while I can fight  
__As long as the wrong is in the right its like I'm in flight  
__High off of love  
__Drunk from my hate  
__Its like I'm huffing paint  
__I love it  
__The more I suffer I suffocate_

"Sayid, let him listen to the song she wrote about him," the interogater says. "he needs to hear it, it should be an honor to him to know his sister wrote a beautiful song about him,"

Dante just glares at them not saying anything.

I found myself today  
_I found myself and ran away  
__But something pulled me back  
__A voice of reason I forgot I had  
__All I know is  
__your not here to say  
__what you always used to say  
__but it's written in the sky tonight_

_so I wont give up  
__no I wont break down  
__sooner then it seems  
__life turns around  
__and I will be strong  
__even when it all goes wrong  
__when I'm standing in the dark  
__I'll still believe  
__Someone's watching over me_

_You see that ray of light  
__It's shining on my destiny  
__Shining on my destiny  
__Shining all the time  
__And I wont be afraid  
__To follow everywhere  
__Its taking me  
__All I know is yesterday is gone  
__And right now I belong  
__To this moment  
__To my dreams_

_So I wont give up  
__No I wont break down  
__Sooner then it seems  
__Life turns around  
__And I will be strong  
__Even when it all goes wrong  
__When I'm standing in the dark  
__I'll still believe  
__Someone's watching over me_

_It doesn't matter  
__what people say  
__Or how long it takes  
__Believe in yourself  
__And you'll find  
__It only matters how true you are  
__Be true to yourself  
__And follow your heart_

_So I wont give up  
__No I wont break down  
__Sooner then it seems  
__Life turns around  
__And I will be strong  
__Even when it all goes wrong  
__When I'm standing in the dark  
__I'll still believe_

_That I wont give up  
__No I wont break down  
__Sooner then it seems  
__Life turns around  
__And I will be strong  
__Even when it all goes wrong  
__When I'm standing in the dark  
__I'll still believe  
__That someone's watching over me  
__Someone's watching over me  
__Someone's watching over me  
__Ye-e-ah  
__Oh  
__Someone's watching over me_

The song ends and Sayid turns off the small CD player as Dante takes in the song he just heard. A song his little sister wrote about him because she thinks he's dead. Just that thought brought tears in his eyes, but he blinks them back. Dante knew he couldn't show that this was getting to him. that I was making him miss his little sister more and that it was killing him that she thought he was dead.

"why did you make me listen to that?" Dante asks.

"because McCoy, we want you to know exactly what kind of girl your sister is, and we want you to know that we can take her away from this world, we can kill her," The interogater says to him. "so, its your choice, are you going to cooperate with us, or are you going to let your sister die,"


	33. Chapter 33

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 33

Gabi awakes the next day with the blankets still wrapped around her body and a smile on her face. she finally was happy again. She felt like nothing could go wrong. She was finally at a good place in her life after Hailie Jade's death. Kendall loved her and she loved him.

Gabi then roles over expecting to see Kendall lying next to her still asleep or possibly awake but when she notices he isn't there. It looks like the blankets were thrown back in a hurry. her smile quickly fades.

Where was Kendall? That was all that ran through Gabi's mind. He said that he wasn't going anywhere, so where was he. They just got back together after four months of her hating him for some stupid reason. She loved him again and he said he would never hurt her and leaving her after last night would definitely count as hurting her.

Gabi takes a deep breath. She was way over thinking this. Kendall wouldn't just leave after last night. He told her loved her and she believed his story about what had happened between him and Brook Lynn. That Brook Lynn drugged him. that he never wanted to cheat on her. that he had no memory of it.

She needed to believe that. Kendall loved her. he said that. so she had to know that Kendall wouldn't leave her. he was probably still here somewhere. Maybe his phone rang and he had to take the call and he didn't want to wake her up. or he needed to call Carlos, James or Logan to have one of them cover for him with his mom or Gustavo or something. He wouldn't just leave her.

Gabi quickly gets up and out of bed and quickly pulls her old Evanescence t-shirt out of her dresser and puts it on before grabbing a pair of black shorts and quickly putting them on also before walking to the door of her room to head into the main room of her apartment to see if Kendall was there.

As she walks down the hallway, she hears voices.

"ok, just tell me how you knew I was here," she hears Kendall's voice says.

"if Carlos knows, everyone knows," another voice says.

"Damn it Carlos," Kendall's voice says in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah, next time you are going to spend the night with your ex girlfriend, don't tell the guy with the biggest mouth who will do anything for fish sticks," the other voice says.

Gabi then recognized it.

Kendall's mom.

Wow, she was right when she said last night that his mom would freak that he didn't come home. But how did she know where Gabi lives? That was just weird.

"I told you Kendall, I do not want you seeing her,"

"mom, you cant control who I date," Kendall's voice says. "I will be eighteen in two months,"

Gabi then stops walking and just listens to the rest of her conversation.

"yeah, two months, not now, you are not eighteen yet, and I am your mother, and I do not like you spending the night at your ex girlfriends house, well, probably girlfriend again, that's what happens when teenagers sleep together"

"nothing happened,"

"if nothing happened then why aren't you wearing a shirt Kendall,"

Kendall doesn't answer that.

"see, something did happen, I knew coming to L.A would be bad for you, back in Minnesota you weren't serious with girls, it was all about hockey and hanging out Carlos, James and Logan, and pulling stupid stunts that could possibly get you either beat up or arrested,"

Gabi takes a deep breath as she leans against the wall listening to the conversation.

"mom, I have grown up, back then I was fifteen, I am almost eighteen, almost a legal adult," Kendall says. "you can't control me anymore, and I love Gabi,"

"no Kendall, you think you love her, teenage love isn't real, it's a myth, and Gabi isn't a good choice for a girl you think your in love with, she is a slut,"

As Gabi hears that word come out of Kendall's mom's mouth, a tear falls from her brown eyes.

"don't you call her that," Kendall says getting mad. "she isn't a slut,"

"Kendall, she was pregnant before, what do you call that?"

"yeah, she was pregnant before, but not by choice…"

"of course not by choice, no teen girl wants to get pregnant, but she still…"

"that's not what happened," Kendall says. "you know the story,"

"Yes, the very convenient story she had for why and how she got pregnant while she was about to start her singing career,"

"ok, I am not going to talk to you about this," Kendall says. "and you don't get to call my girlfriend a slut when she isn't one, and I am old enough to make my own choices,"

"Kendall, you both are still seventeen, if you two get caught having sex, you will get arrested because the age of consent in California is eighteen, you will be arrested for statutory rape, and trust me, your mugshot will not be a great publicity thing for your new album Kendall, it will hurt Big Time Rush, and then James will kill you because you would be working on crushing his dream, and did you even think about the consequences last night? Like teenage pregnancy, because I don't want to be a grandmother anytime soon Kendall,"

"relax, we used protection," Kendall says.

"so you guys did sleep together,"

"ok, this is not a conversation I want to have with my mom," Kendall says. "I am old enough to make my own choices and decisions, you cant control my life anymore,"

"Kendall, I am your mother,"

"yeah, and I am almost eighteen, I don't need you telling me how to live me life," Kendall tells her. "and I don't need you hovering over me controlling my life, and I definitely don't need you insulting my girlfriend who I love in not a stupid teenage way, I love her more then anything,"

Gabi couldn't help but smile as she heard Kendall defend her, but she then did not want to hear the rest of the conversation so she walks back down the hallway into her room. She then just sat on the edge of her bed and just thinks about last night and how much Kendall loved her instead of the fact that his mom hated her.

After five minutes, Kendall comes back into her room and sees that she is awake. He walks over to her and quickly kisses her.

"How long have you been awake?" he asks her.

"Long enough to know that your mom hates me," Gabi answers him.

"Gabs, I'm…" Kendall starts.

"No, its fine, I don't want to talk about it," Gabi says as she stands up.

"No, Gabs…" Kendall starts again.

"Kendall, I'm fine," Gabi says again. "I don't want to focus on the negative things, I just want to focus on the fact that I have you back, and we are together again, and nothing is going to tear us apart, and if anything happens, I will listen to what you have to say,"

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Gabi says.

At that moment, there is a loud knock on Gabi's front door. She sighs and walks out of her room to go get it and Kendall follows her. Gabi throws open the front door then freezes as she sees who it is.

"Oh god,"

**A/N: 4 reviews before i update please...**


	34. Chapter 34

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 34

"oh god,"

Gabi looks out her front door to see Josh standing there and he just looks back at her, and then to Kendall who is right behind her and he instantly notices that he isn't wearing a shirt, just jeans.

"wow… Ms. McCoy, am I interrupting something," Josh says as he looks from Gabi to Kendall who is just looking back equally shocked. "I take that as a yes,"

"what…what are you doing here?" Gabi asks him nervous.

"I came by to drop off some more scripts, General Hospital is looking for a blonde girl to play the new love interest of Michael Corinthos, Aly, a friend of Kristina Davis's, and The Event is casting for an extra for a dying girl who bleeds blood from her mouth and nose, then I got you an audition for Spencer on Pretty Little Liars, also for the recurring role of Alison or Ali, and I also have one for a teenage girl for It's Kind Of A Funny Story, a new movie in production," Josh says as he looks from Gabi to Kendall. "but something tells me that you don't need these anymore, you wont have much spare time,"

"listen, Josh…" Gabi starts.

"are you crazy McCoy?" Josh asks "in the past month, you have shoved a rapper out of the line of fire and getting shot yourself, you almost die because of that, your best friend is a forty year old rapper, and lets not mention almost getting shot again in a hostage crisis at the rappers record company, and now, you let your ex boyfriend spend the night, this is so great for publicity, you turn back from being crazy gothic chick to a normal teenage girl and you go and throw that…"

"don't talk to her like that," Kendall says interrupting Josh from his rambling.

"I will talk to her however I want to talk to her, I am her manager," Josh says mad to Kendall "she is legally my responsibility,"

"well, if you're her manager, maybe you should treat her with respect, she isn't some person you can yell at and hurt," Kendall says mad.

"well, Kendall, you seemed to have hurt her before because she used to not be able to stand you," Josh says. "and now, it looks like she has forgiven you, after all the pain you put her through,"

"I didn't do…" Kendall starts.

"guys, just stop," Gabi says interrupting them.

"are you seriously going to let him speak to you like that?" Kendall asks her. "has he been talking to you like this the whole time he has been working for you?"

"why do you care?" Josh asks Kendall annoyed.

"because, she is the girl I love, I am not going to sit back and let you talk to her like that," Kendall says mad.

"ok, I take it you to are back together," Josh says. "I would love to know what changed your minds and brought you two back together,"

Gabi just glares at him.

"this is a bad time," Gabi says as she crosses her arms.

"no, seriously Gabi, I would love to know what brought you to forgive this guy for whatever that he did to you causing you to change from yourself to a gothic chick who hates the world," Josh says. "what made you forgive him and all of a sudden go back on the one thing that you wish you had?"

Gabi looks at him confused.

"your virginity McCoy," Josh says annoyed. "I remember, two weeks ago, you said that you would still be a virgin, that you wanted to be one, and looks like that if you still were one when you said that, that you aren't one now,"

"nothing happened," Gabi says.

"if nothing happened, how did you get that bruise on your neck?" Josh asks her. "A vacuum accident,"

Gabi then instinctively puts her hand to her neck. Wow, for once she couldn't come up with a reason why she had a bruise. She used to be amazing at coming up with excuses on why she had bruises.

"ah…no comment from the girl who is best at lying on why she is bruised up," Josh says. "who let her boyfriend beat her up and throw her around all the time,"

Gabi just glares at him.

"ok, seriously, you are not going to talk to her like that," Kendall says getting mad. "she doesn't deserve it, and don't bring up that son of a bitch who beat her like a dog daily. She doesn't need to be reminded of that,"

"wow, now you have him fight your battles for you McCoy?" Josh asks her. "that's just nice,"

"ok, Josh, seriously, just leave," Gabi tells him. "I don't have time for this,"

"ok, McCoy, go throw your life and career away," Josh says. "and trust me, I cant wait until you turn eighteen and I am not legally responsible for you, that way you can throw your own life and I don't have to deal with it,"

Kendall then just glared at Josh.

"now, I will leave so you and your boyfriend can get back to what you were doing," Josh said before turning around and leaving.

Kendall then shut the door behind him.

"you ok?" he asks Gabi.

"fine," Gabi says as she walks away into the living room of her apartment.

Kendall followed her.

"you sure?"

"yeah, I'm fine," Gabi says before sitting down on the sofa. "I just really hate him,"

Kendall sits down next to her.

"is there any possible way you can fire him?"

"he is under contract and I cant, plus he is legally responsible for me until I turn eighteen, so there is nothing I can do," Gabi replies after she takes a deep breath. "so, basically, I am stuck with him until my eighteenth birthday next March. It sounds so joyful, doesn't it?"

"Well, it could be worse," Kendall tells her. "He could be legally responsible for you for a lot longer then that, you could still be fifteen and then you would have three years instead of just six months of being stuck with him,"

"Lets just not talk about that," Gabi says as she takes a deep breath. "Lets again focus on the happy things, like I love you,"


	35. Chapter 35

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 35

Gabi sighs as she hears a knock on her front door for the second time this morning. (Well, could have been third time, she never heard Mrs. Knight knock because she was sleeping, but for all she knew, Mrs. Knight could have broken down the door) Kendall sighs as well. Right when he was about to kiss her.

He leans back as Gabi takes a deep breath and the knock continued.

"I better get that," Gabi says before standing up

Kendall nods as Gabi grabs her light pink Aeropostale hoodie and puts it on over her t-shirt she is wearing along with the black shorts. The last thing she needs is someone else jumping to the conclusion that she and Kendall had slept together/hooked up/did their 'laundry'. Though it was true, it is still the last thing she needs.

"Um… why don't you go find your shirt," Gabi tells him. "The last thing we need is more people knowing that you spent the night here last night,"

Kendall nods as he stands up and starts down the hallway to Gabi's bedroom searching for his t-shirt that he lost last night in their moment of passion.

Gabi then zips up her hoodie and walks to the front door and rearranges her hair around her face hoping to cover up the bruise on her neck. It felt weird for her. She hadn't really hidden a bruise for over a year because for the past year, she has been away from evil Justin. He is in prison and definitely won't be out soon. Two life sentences with no chance of parole in a maximum-security prison was a really long sentence and he had no chance of getting out.

The knock continues and Gabi finally opens the front door, to become face to face with Marshall.

"Marshall,"

"Hey Gabi," Marshall says.

He then walks past her into her apartment.

"Marshall, now isn't really a good time…" Gabi starts as she follows him.

"Relax, this wont take long, I know you are probably a little shaken up from the other day, but I need to ask you something and I need to know the answer soon…"

Marshall stops talking mid sentence as he walks into her living room and sees Kendall in there pulling his shirt on. He then turns to Gabi.

"Am I interrupting something?" Marshall asks as he looks from Kendall to Gabi.

Gabi then puts her hand behind her neck and tries to think of the best way to explain to Marshall (her father figure) why Kendall was there. He probably hadn't spoken to Hailie about what Gabi told her yesterday, Hailie didn't seem like she would tell her dad about that conversation, plus, her mom picked her up, not Marshall. before she can come up with anything, Marshall then looks at her again.

"Gabi, its nine AM, not a lot of people who don't have work today are up this early," Marshall says as he crosses his arms. "Um…why is Kendall here?"

Before Gabi can even think of a good excuse, Marshall speaks again.

"Did he spend the night here,"

"no, we are working on a song together and Kendall came by to pick me up before we went to the studio, I slept past my alarm and just woke up, I was just on my way to go get dressed so we can get to the studio," Gabi quickly lies.

"then why was he just putting his shirt on?"

"um…"

"move you hair,"

Gabi looks at him confused.

"what?"

"move your hair," Marshall repeats.

Gabi continues to look at him confused.

"Gabi, I have three daughters, Lainey was your age a few years ago, move your hair from your neck" Marshall tells her.

Gabi moves her hair from the right side of her neck showing it to Marshall.

"ok, other side," Marshall says.

Gabi hesitantly then moves her hair from the left side of her neck revealing the dark purple bruise that Josh noticed earlier.

"ok, Gabi, we need to talk in the kitchen, something about what Hailie told me about her dance classes," Marshall says and before either Gabi or Kendall can say anything, he grabs her by the wrist and drags her into the kitchen.

"Marshall, like I said, right now isn't a good time," Gabi tells him.

"Gabi, I am not your father, I know that, and therefore I cant tell you what you can and cant do," Marshall says ignoring Gabi's comment about how right now isn't a good time "but, not to long ago, you were crying, chucking glass at the wall, had your hair black and hated that boy more then anything in the world, and now it definitely looks like you don't hate him, judging by that hickey on your neck, so can you tell me what happened that suddenly made you love him again,"

Gabi takes a deep breath before she speaks.

"we talked about it," she tells him. "turns out it wasn't what it looked like,"

"you sure, because I always used the 'it isn't what it looks like' excuse?" Marshall asks her. "and it actually was what it looked like,"

"Marshall, we talked, we worked it out, don't worry," Gabi tells him.

"ok, but just be careful," Marshall tells her. "you know what I mean, Kim was only two years older then you when we had Hailie,"

"ok, Marshall, be careful, got it," Gabi says.

at that moment, there is yet another knock on the door, causing Gabi to sigh before she walks out of the kitchen and into the hallway to go to the front door. Marshall just walks back into the living room where he just gives Kendall a glare.

"hurt her again, and you will end up just like Lainey's first boyfriend, Jared," Marshall says to him. "they still haven't found his body yet, which makes me know that the trailer park I grew up in out in 8 Mile is good place to stash a dead body,"

Gabi walks over to the front door and opens it to see Hailie on the other side and she does what her father did, walks right in after Gabi opened it.

"hey, I had my mom drop me off before dance class," Hailie says as Gabi closes the door. "I tried texting you, but you didn't answer so I thought I would come by to see how my advice went,"

Hailie walks straight into the living room.

"dad, what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Marshall replies.

Before Gabi can interrupt them, another loud knock is rings through her apartment, and right after following it, Josh walks straight in.

"ok, McCoy, we need to talk…"

he stops when he notices that Kendall, Hailie and Marshall are all there.

"listen, josh, this is not a good time," Gabi says for what feels like the hundredth time that morning.

"not now," Josh says. "it looks like the gang is all here, your boyfriend, best friend and favorite rapper,"

"Josh, what is it that you need?" Gabi asks him annoyed.

"I am here to inform you that there has been a problem with the California State Prison security," Josh says.

"Just get to the point," Gabi says annoyed "if you cant see, I am busy,"

"McCoy, I am here to inform you that there has been a escape attempt at California State Prison," Josh says. "And inmate Justin Wilson has not been accounted for,"

**A/N: you should totally subscribe to me on youtube. i just made a promo for an upcoming chapter for this story where i added a unexpected twist to the story plot again. just go to YouTube and search my screenname JoluJasamSkate and then go to my profile, it is their under Animal I Have Become Chapter Promo.**


	36. Chapter 36

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 36

As soon as those words came out of Josh's mouth, the color literally drained from Gabi's face. The words bounced around in Gabi's head as her brain tried to process it. Justin's current location was unknown.

Kendall had no idea what to do, so he just put his arm around Gabi letting her know that he was there. He knew how traumatic this had to be for her. He could only imagine what was going on in her head. He had no idea how much she was freaking out.

She was just told that the animal that beat her up for a year and never gave a damn about her and killed their unborn daughter is not accounted for. He wasn't in prison. There had been a escape attempt at the maximum security prison he had been in until his trial, which was still undecided for when it would be and if there was enough evidence to get a conviction without having Gabi sitting on the stand and retelling her story to a courtroom full of people, including a judge, Justin himself, a defense attorney, the state prosecutor, whoever sits in the audience and watches the trial, that one person who sits in here recording everything spoken word for word and a jury who could possibly be full of either sympathetic towards her or extremely hate her, and one of the last thing she needed was the District Attorny/prosecuter stating to the jury that 'Ms. McCoy was scared, she had no idea how to get out of the relationship, that the defendant, Mr. Justin Wilson had threatened to take her life and has been physically abusing her for a while, causing her to be in fear for her life, not knowing that if she went to the police, that they could help and put Justin behind bars, and keep him away from her, causing the abuse to stop and not having her pregnancy have happened do to that,'

Marshall was the first to speak up out of all of them.

"Hailie, call your mother and have her come pick you up," Marshall instructed Hailie.

Hailie looked at him mad.

"Dad, come on," Hailie said.

"Hailie, I do not want to repeat myself," Marshall told her. "I want you to call your mom and have her pick you up,"

"Dad…"

"Hailie, this is not a conversation I want my fifteen year old daughter hearing,"

"Dad, Gabi is only two years older then me, and I will be sixteen in December,"

"Hailie Jade Scott," Marshall said.

Hailie Jade. Gabi put her hand to her flat stomach absentmindedly. It was really stupid her to name her unborn baby girl the same name as her favorite rappers daughter who would soon become her best friend, but at the moment she named her that, she wasn't thinking of Marshall, Eminem or Slim Shady. She just liked the way the name sounded; it was either Hailie Jade, Sierra Rose, Starr Hope, Destinee Rae or Mackenzie Rae.

Hailie Jade just sounded the prettiest to her.

"Hailie Jade Scott, call your mother and have her come pick you up, I do not want raise my voice at you," Marshall told Hailie sternly.

"Ok Marshall, how about you take Hailie home because I have strict orders to take Gabi straight to Rocque Records right now, and Gustavo's 'Monkey Dog' is the only one allowed to come besides her," Josh told Marshall. "What are you even doing here?"

"I came by to see if Gabi was up for performing at the VMA's, MTV wants me to open the award show with Not Afraid and Love The Way You Lie, the two most popular songs off my latest album Recovery," Marshall tells him.

"Well, at the moment, that doesn't seem very likely," Josh says. "her physical safety is going to be a number one priority, and being up on stage in front of thousands of people and also being on live television performing a song with some washed out rap star is not good for her safety,"

"My dad isn't a washed out rap star," Hailie said defending her father to Josh. "he never was, ever since he became Eminem when I was just a baby, he has always been one of the best entertainers in the business, everyone loves Slim Shady,"

"really, how about those people protesting outside his concerts all the time because he is a homophobic abuser who hates the president, or that guy who shot up his record label a few days ago, almost killing your friend here along with her boyfriend, not to mention all the celebrities he has insulted in his songs like Will Smith, Britney Spears, Christina Agulara, NSYNC, Jessica Simpson, Michael Jackson, Bret Michaels, Tony Romo, Sarah Palin, Samantha Ronson, Lindsay Lohan and Moby and that's just in his two songs Without Me and Me Made You" Josh asked Hailie.

"hey, don't talk to my daughter that way," Marshall said mad to Josh. "don't even think about that, I pistol whipped a guy for kissing Kim, just imagine what I will do to you if you go near or hurt my baby girl in anyway,"

"are you threatening me Mathers?" Josh asked unamused.

"yeah, I am Jefferson, what are you going to do about it?" Marshall asked as he stepped forward.

Josh stepped forward also to argue with Marshall when Kendall speaks up.

"ok, this is seriously not the time to be having this conversation right now," Kendall said interrupting them. "Gabi just found out that the guy who beat her like a dog is not accounted for in prison, you two can argue about how much you hate each other later,"

Marshall just glares at Josh.

"don't even thing about going anywhere near my girls," Marshall said "and I still highly don't like that you are Gabi's legal guardian at the moment, so you better be nice to her,"

"says the guy who screwed up so many times, you married the same girl twice and one marriage only lasted a few months, you probably don't even love Kim," Josh said just to get Marshall mad.

"my dad loves my mom," Hailie said getting in the argument again. "he even stated 'I loved your mother, that will never change, but we just could never get it together hey' in Going Through Changes,"

Marshall turned to Hailie.

"how do you know I said that?" he asked Hailie. "I told you that I don't want you listening to my music yet because I don't rap about the best things,'

"Jamie from school told me," Hailie said.

"ok, well, getting out of this argument, Marshall, you need to leave with your daughter, I need to get Gabi to Rocque Records to discuss stuff with Gustavo," Josh said. "Gabi, go get dressed, I want to be out of here in five minutes,"

Gabi nodded before removing Kendall's arm from around her and walking down the hallway to her room to get fully dressed.

"this has to be killing her,"


	37. Chapter 37

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 37

Gabi followed Josh into the conference room at Rocque Records and Kendall was right behind her. Gabi had on a pair of black skinny jeans, her black high top converse and Dante's old backwards 'E' t-shirt. She loved that t-shirt. It reminded her so much of her awesome older brother who she missed terribly and deeply. The t-shirt was a reminder of how close she and Dante were before he joined the army and became a Marine and she always felt safe in it, because Dante always made sure no one messed with her. Only he could mess with his baby sister.

The whole car ride there, Gabi remained silent. She hadn't said a word since Josh mentioned that Justin was unaccounted for after the prison escape. Who could expect her to be talkative right now? She was probably freaking out inside because that animal who beat her up all the time is free and Kendall definitely didn't blame her, he just wished she would say something. He didn't care what it was. Just something vocal so he would know that she isn't in a catatonic state. For all he cared it could be a recap of yesterdays General Hospital or One Life To Live or she just said lyrics to one of Marshall's songs. He just needed to know she was ok.

As soon as she got in the room, Gabi sat down at the conference room table across from Gustavo and Griffin. Kelly was standing up behind them and she just looked at Gabi sympathetically.

"Kelly…please don't look at me like that," Gabi said as she stared down at the table. "I know you are worried and its obvious you care, but I don't want you looking at me like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off,"

Kelly nodded and offered her a weak smile before looking away.

"Lets get started shall we," Griffin said as he stood up.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Twenty four hours ago at California State Prison, there was a escape attempt, it was an inside job and there was an explosion, two guards and an inmate died, and one remains unaccounted for," Griffin tells her. "Justin Wilson, who less then a year ago tried to kill you again and killed your unborn child,"

"And they have no idea where he is?" Kendall asks interrupting him. "They just lost track of a dangerous inmate that is in there on several accounts of assault, attempted murder and murdering his own unborn daughter, how does that happen,"

"Like I said, it was an inside job, someone helped with the escape, the police have no idea who, for all we know it could be batman,"

"I highly doubt batman would help a criminal escape from prison," Gustavo interrupted him. "That sounds more like Dwight Schrute from The Office,"

"No, if anyone from the Office would help a prisoner escape from prison, it would be Creed," Griffin tells him. "Dwight took the oath to put away criminals when he became a volunteer sheriff guy,"

"Dude, this is really not the time to be discussing which fictional character off an NBC sitcom would help a criminal escape a federal prison," Kendall interrupts them. "This is serious, a abusive criminal who has been known to be dangerous, and counting all the things he has done to Gabi while he claimed to be in love with her when all he did was beat her all the time for a full year,"

_Gabi looks at Justin from where she sits in the backseat of his car. He just looks back at her._

_"Do you love me Justin?" Gabi asked him. _

_Justin put his hand to the side of Gabi's face and Gabi leaned into his touch. _

_"Of course I do Gab," Justin told her calmly. "I love you, I will love you forever,"_

_Right after those words come out of his mouth, his lips crash into Gabi's and he puts his arm around her back pulling her closer to him and Gabi puts her arms around his neck getting as close to him as possible as the kiss deepened._

"Stop saying Gabi like I'm not here," Gabi said speaking up since she told Kelly not to look at her like some ticking time bomb waiting to go off. "I am here and I know how serious the situation is, and I know everything Justin did to me, I was there, can we please just get to wherever this conversation is going,"

She then closed her eyes and just wanted that flashback out of her mind. She didn't need to be reminded of that. Definitely not now. She didn't need to be reminded that there was a part of her story that she was keeping from everyone.

Wow…that felt weird for her to think. She hadn't even thought about that is over a year. Instead she just focused on hating the animal he has become. She didn't even want to think about the times before he got abusive. She didn't even want to think about the times he was abusive. She just wanted to move on, and now it definitely didn't look like that.

"Ok, well, we are getting some knew security around her and for you Kendall," Griffin said. "Since you got stabbed while trying to protect her when he came back that one time about a year ago, he is a war veteran, he fought over in Iraq and his name is Sayid Jaseem, he is American and was born here, he is currently in Hawaii working on the set of Hawaii Five-O as security and he will be here in a couple days, until then, Freight Train will be following Gabi non stop wherever she goes,"

"What are the police doing about this?" Kendall asked.

"Well, currently, all the main roads in and out of the state of California are closed and have police there making sure he doesn't try to flee, FBI agents are currently at that hometown of his and Gabi's in case he shows up there, he is a wanted criminal," Griffin said "the police and authorities are everywhere looking for him, so as long as Gabi has security, she should be ok until they are able to locate him and get him back in prison,"

"Is that all you needed to tell me?" Gabi asked looking up at him. "Because I just want to go home and get my mind off of this,"

"Yes," Griffin said. "You can in a few minutes, Freight Train will escort you back there, but before that, I need to speak to him, so why don't you go wait in the hallway,"

Gabi stood up and then walked out of the room and into the hallway and Kendall followed her. She just leaned against one of the walls with her arms crossed.

"How are you holding up?" Kendall asked her.

Gabi just looked at him near tears.

"Just don't worry," Kendall told her as he attempted to pull her into his arms. "That animal wont come near you again,"

Gabi just pushed him away as Kendall tried to pull her into his arms and he looked back at her confused.

"I haven't been completely honest with you about everything,"

**Dun, Dun, Dun, what could it be? o, i know, but not goiing to tell you! five reviews and i will update. the faster the reviews come, the faster you know exactly what Gabi is keeping a secret.**


	38. Chapter 38

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 38

"I haven't been completely honest with you about everything,"

what the hell was that supposed to mean? Kendall just looked at Gabi confused after those words came out of her mouth. "what…what do you mean you haven't been completely honest?"

"you ever see a TV show or movie or read a book where one girl character is in an abusive relationship?" Gabi asked him.

"no," Kendall replied.

"well, lets take Kristina Corinthos-Davis for example," Gabi said. "on General Hospital, she was in a relationship with a guy named Kiefer Bauer, he hit her all the time and had her hospitalized twice but she still loved him more then anything,"

"Gabi, where is this going?" Kendall asked her confused.

"Kristina said she loved Kiefer, no matter how many times he hit her or yelled or abused her in anyway," Gabi said ignoring Kendall when he asked where this was going. "she always protected him saying that it wasn't his fault, she got him mad, it was her fault, that Keifer wasn't always abusive, he did love her,"

"Gabi, you are losing me," Kendall told her. "will you just tell me what you mean by this, what are you talking about?"

Gabi took a deep breath before speaking.

"like I said, I haven't been completely honest with you," Gabi told him. "Justin didn't ask me out to get his ex girlfriend jealous like I said, he asked me out because he really liked me and thought I was pretty and cute and he wanted to get to know me better,"

Gabi paused as she wiped away one of her tears that had fallen from one of her brown eyes.

"he didn't hit me after the first date because his plan didn't work," Gabi told him.

"what are you saying, he wasn't abusive, because that makes no sense considering what he did to you last year, how you got pregnant and how he put you in a coma with an ax handle," Kendall said. "that makes no sense,"

"I never said he wasn't abusive, I just said he didn't hit me on the first date and use me to get his ex girlfriend jealous," Gabi said.

"so, what are you saying then?" Kendall asked her.

"will you let me finish," Gabi told him.

Kendall nodded and stayed silent.

"the first few dates went great, he was sweet, nice, funny and seemed perfect," Gabi said. "He was great to me, he put me up on this pedestal like I was he most beautiful girl in the world, he really did love me"

Kendall contemplated for a moment on if he should say he didn't blame him, she was the most beautiful girl in the world, but now didn't seem like the best time considering what she was telling him.

"I fell in love with him Kendall, in only two months, I fell in love with him," Gabi continued as more tears fell from her eyes. "he wasn't abusive at that time, he was great and perfect to me, three months into that relationship is when I chose to sleep with him,"

Kendall just takes in those last few words. She chose to sleep with him. she loved him. she fell in love with him in two months. He was perfect to her. He put her up on a pedestal. He loved her.

"what do you mean you chose to sleep with him?" Kendall asked her.

"I loved him," Gabi said. "I wanted to prove it to him,"

"There are a lot of other ways of proving you love someone without sleeping with them," Kendall told her getting a little mad. "how old were you,"

"fifteen," Gabi told him.

"how old was he?"

"sixteen,"

"Gabi, he could have been arrested for statutory rape, most states for it to be consensual you have be sixteen or older,"

"he wasn't,"

"obviously, because look what still happened to you,"

"he wasn't always abusive to me," Gabi told him. "he wasn't until four months into the relationship, and just then it was a slap or punch, nothing serious,"

"Gabi, its sounds like your defending the guy, and you still love him"

"believe me, I am not defending him and definitely don't love him anymore,"

"sure doesn't sound like it,"

"I thought I loved him, of course I protected him until the abuse got bad to the point where my own best friend refused to talk to me until I dumped him, I then tried to get out because I realized he didn't love me like he said, he then threatened my life and I got scared of him and it got as bad as I said it did, he did rape me and that was how Hailie Jade was conceived, I guess I loved the way he lied," Gabi told him.

Kendall just looked at her.

"why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked her as he looked at her.

"I hadn't told anyone the full real story," Gabi told him.

"and you didn't think that when you told me your story you could have told me this?" Kendall asked her still mad.

"I knew how stupid I was and I definitely didn't need someone else telling me that I was stupid for protecting him and loving him when he obviously didn't give a damn about me, and I didn't need to hear how weak I was,"

"I wouldn't have told you that," Kendall told her. "I wouldn't have called you weak, I wouldn't have called you stupid, I would have still been on your side, I would have still felt the same way I felt about you then,"

"I'm sorry, ok, I was just under a lot of stress, I just found out that my brother died and I was pregnant, and I really needed someone, I didn't need to scare the one person who was going to be there for me away," Gabi told him.

"I can't believe you lied to me for almost a year,"

"I didn't lie to you, I just neglected to tell you a huge detail, and I am so sorry about that, I knew I shouldn't have been keeping that from you but, I just didn't know what the best way to tell you was,"

"you made me believe…" Kendall paused for a moment before speaking. "Gabi…I…last night, what we did,"

Kendall paused again.

"I need some time to process all of this," Kendall finally said. "I'll talk to you later,"

after Kendall said that, he walked away from her leaving her there to breakdown.


	39. Chapter 39

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 39

Kendall walked in the front door of apartment 2J to see the only one there was James who was watching TV. James looked up as he came in the door.

"dude, where we you last night?" James asked as he stood up. "I came back from my date with the hot new girl and you were gone, Carlos said that you went to fix something, whatever that was, and you were gone all night,"

"I don't want to talk about it," Kendall said as he walked past James and to his room.

"What, did something happen?" James asked him as he followed him.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Kendall replied to him.

"Why, what happened, who were you with all night?" James asked him.

Kendall turned around and faced him.

"I give you three guesses," Kendall said before walking back into the living room and James followed still confused.

"Ok, um…what's-her-face, that one girl you semi dated before Gabi came to the Palm Woods," James guessed as Kendall went into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "Dude, you should get a reusable bottle, its better for the environment,"

Kendall looked at him confused.

"Ok, since when does James Diamond care about the environment," Kendall asked him confused.

"I don't, but the ladies dig it when care," James told him. "Or they think you care,"

"Ok, whatever," Kendall said before trying to walk away again, but James stopped him yet again.

"Dude, just tell me what happened, were friends, you can talk to me about anything, so who were you with?"

"I told you, I give you three guesses, and no, it wasn't Jo, I cant stand her," Kendall said.

"Ok, that hot brunette Brook Lynn," James said.

Kendall felt himself tense at the mention of Brook Lynn. Everything that happened between him and Gabi the past four months was all her fault and he definitely despised her for that, for ruining what he and Gabi had.

"No, I was not with that slut, don't mention her name in front of me again," Kendall replied.

"Ok, who were you with then?" James asked him. "The only other person I can think of is Gabi, and apparently she hates you,"

Kendall didn't say anything.

"Wait, you were with Gabi?" James asked him. "All night, at her place, alone,"

Kendall stayed silent again.

"Wow, I knew it would happen, but I figured it would be when you guys were together, not broken up," James said.

"Well, what happened last night is not going to happen again," Kendall said as he walked over to the orange sofa and sat down.

James took a few steps forward but remained standing.

"Wow, was it that bad?" James asked him. "You need to give her some credit dude, it would be her first time by choice, considering what happened to her over a year ago,"

"It wasn't bad and that's not why it's not happening again," Kendall said getting frustrated with James and his constant badgering.

"Ok, what did you do then?" James asked him. "Did you get her pregnant, because if you did, Griffin will kill you, Big Time Rush cant be known as the band that gets girls pregnant, that will ruin the reputation, and ruin my dream,"

"Relax James, she isn't pregnant," Kendall told him as he stood up. "Your dream isn't ruined yet,"

"Then what happened?" James asked him.

"Lets just say I found out something about her that I really wish I didn't," Kendall told him.

"What could you have possibly learned about her that you wish you didn't?" James asked him. "What could be worse then being beat up all the time by some crazy guy who doesn't give a damn and being raped by him, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy, then losing that baby…"

"She loved him," Kendall said interrupting James from his recap of everything Gabi has been through.

"What do you mean she loved him?" James asked as he looked at him confused.

"She loved the way he lied," Kendall responded. "She was in love with Justin,"

"The guy who hit her all the time?"

"Yeah, but according to her he wasn't always like that, he was sweet, nice, funny and perfect, he even put her up on a pedestal, the abuse didn't start for a while, she fell in love with him first, she loved him enough to lose her virginity to him by choice,"

"Wait, I thought she was raped,"

"She was, but that was later on their relationship," Kendall told him before sitting down. "He wasn't always bad to her, when the abuse started, when it was only a little she still said she loved and protected him, he promised he would stop and always bought her flowers after a argument,"

"Well, Kendall, that's how all abusive relationships are, the one being abused says that they love their abuser, it's really complicated,"

"How do you know it then?"

"Well, after Gabi came out with her story to the public, Logan did a lot of research about abuse, and one day I was going to use his laptop and it was on one of those articles and I guess I started reading it," James told him. "You need to understand that what she went through and how hard it was, she fell in love with someone who abused her,"

Kendall turned to James.

"Are you serious, James?" Kendall asked him getting mad. "You are giving me relationship advice, the longest relationship you had only lasted two months before you screwed it up, and then you left,"

"This is not about what happened between Starr and I," James told him. "Why did you even bring her up, its been over a year,"

"Ok, James, I am not taking relationship advice from the guy who said that Will Horton wasn't good enough for his best friend and then argued with her until your true feelings came out and then after one fight, you leave Minnesota, leaving her, the girl you have been best friends with since kindergarten and claimed to have been in love with," Kendall shot back.

"I am not giving you advice, I am just saying try to understand what she went through," James told him. "It was hell,"

"Ok, I am not talking about this right now," Kendall said as he stood up. "I just really need to think about this,"

Kendall then walked off to his room.

**A/N: sorry it took so long to update, i have been busy with school and volleyball, and its hard to work on this story, Even The Smallest Starr Shines and my upcoming Suicide Pact and for some reason, i am starting to write song fics for what reason i have no idea. oh, and if you read Even The Smallest Starr Shines, you will notice that the main character, Starr Buchanan in that story was mentioned here. yeah, she and Gabi will be making appearances in each others stories and stuff, (but there stories wont be COMPLETELY accurate to each others, due to i get confuzeled way to easily) **

**five reviews and i will update. **


	40. Chapter 40

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 40

Gabi sat down on the sofa in her living room with a popcorn bowl in her hands. As she sat down she sighed. Just when things were starting to get better for her, they get destroyed again. But she did need to tell him that. It needed to come out that Justin wasn't always abusive.

She never thought she would tell him, but after what they did the other day, she thought it would be best if he knew that he wasn't her first by choice and out of love. But that didn't mean she didn't love Kendall any less. She loved him more then anything. He was the only one who stood by her through what happened to her.

Or, what he thought happened to her.

_The freshman Gabi McCoy closed her blue locker door to become face to face with sophomore Justin Wilson. She had seen him around school before, he was pretty popular, and he was a good athlete. They didn't exactly travel in the same circles at Brinnon High School. He was a year older then her, but she was in a few advance classes for her age that were for sophomore's so she had him in a few. They have spoken to each other a few times but not like an actual conversation. Just catching up on math homework or barrowing science notes._

_"Hey," he said casually._

_Gabi looked back at him._

_"Um…hi," she said shyly. She had no clue why someone as cool as him would be talking to her. Just a plain freshman Gabi McCoy when he could be talking to cheer captain Alyssa Smith who all the boys were after. "Is there something I can help you with?"_

_"Yeah," Justin replied. "I've heard this rumor,"_

_"What rumor?" Gabi asked him._

_"That you are not going to the dance this Friday," Justin said._

_"Oh I'm not," Gabi replied simply. "I don't really feel like it, who told you that?"_

_"I've been asking around," Justin told her._

_"Well, um…my brother Dante just left for Iraq a couple weeks ago, so its been kind of rough," Gabi told him._

_"Yeah, he's the U.S Marine right?" Justin asked her._

_"Yeah, that's him," Gabi nodded. "Since he left, I've been kind of lonely I guess and not really up for going to events like that, I miss him already,"_

_"Well, what he's doing is really brave," Justin told her. "Risking his life for our country, he's a real hero,"_

_Gabi smiled at the mention of her brother being a hero._

_"Yeah, its what he was born to do, that's what my mom said, he's always ready to defend what he loves and his country is definitely one of them," Gabi told him. "Um…why were you asking around if I was going to the dance?"_

_"Why do you think?" Justin said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I was wondering if a girl as beautiful as you are wanted to go with me,"_

Gabi closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before opening them again. Thinking about the times before the abuse got awful sometimes made her feel nauseous. It reminded her how stupid she was to even go out with him in the first place.

But he fooled her. He was sweet. But he was a year older then her. That should have tipped her off right away. But again, for the first few months, he was a good guy. He just developed a temper.

She should have just listened to Dante when he told her all teenage boys want is sex, drugs, and alcohol and she shouldn't date until she's thirty.

Maybe his over protective advice was right.

"Ms. McCoy,"

Gabi looked up to see Freight Train walk into her apartment holding an envelope.

Freight Train had been her bodyguard since the news of Justin's escape from federal prison came out. Gustavo didn't want to take a chance that he would come back. If Gabi died, then he couldn't make money off her voice. And he definitely didn't want that. So Freight Train was stationed outside her apartment door to make sure no unwanted guests came.

She specifically told him don't let anyone but Marshall or Hailie in. they were the only people she was up to seeing. She knew Kendall wouldn't come. He needed time to cool off and take in what she told him. That wouldn't happen soon, or if it even happened at all.

"What is it Freight Train?" Gabi asked him as she looked up at him.

"Well, this envelope was just dropped off by your mail guy," Freight Train said as he walked over to her. "I checked and its safe, no need to worry,"

"What's in it?" Gabi asked him.

"Just a necklace, there is a note, but didn't read it," Freight Train told her as he handed her the envelope.

Gabi grabbed it.

"Why is their no return address?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Freight Train answered her "maybe whoever sent it to you wanted to remain anonymous,"

"ok, thanks," Gabi said to him. "can you give me some privacy?"

"of course Ms. McCoy," Freight Train said "I will be right out front, if you need anything, just yell my name,"

Gabi nodded as Freight Train left her apartment and went back to standing outside the front door.

She then put the popcorn bowl aside and held the envelope in her hands wondering what could be inside. What necklace would someone send her.

After a moment of looking at it, she opened from the end already tore where Freight Train opened it to check to see if it was safe.

She then emptied the contents onto her lap. A necklace fell out with a note. Gabi grabbed the necklace to get a better look first before reading the note. It was a simple chain with two things on it. two small, dirty mettle plates with words etched into it:

McCoy

Dante R, AB Negative

45256823

USMC, M

Christian

She instantly recognized it as Dante's dog tags. They are issued by the military and everyone out in the field has to wear them. That way they can identify themselves and if anything happens, they know how to identify the corpse.

Gabi just stared at it in shock. That was one of the reasons they had to use fingerprints to identify the corpse they thought was Dante's. they couldn't find the dog tags. Gabi turned it over in her hand before quickly grabbing the piece of paper that fell out of the envelope also.

On it were just two words, written in red, but not by a pen or pencil. A messy red substance. Blood.

'He's Alive'


	41. Chapter 41

**sorry it took so long to update, and sorry this chapter sucks. i have been busy with volleyball and school.**

* * *

Chapter 41

Blood. The words were written in blood. These were Dante's dog tags. That had to mean it was his blood. The Marines were right, as far as she knew, Dante was still alive. He was out there. She needed to help him before it was too late. She knew she had to do something. And receiving Dante's dog tags in the mail, that just made her realize how much faster she needs to get at working with this.

Written in blood. Messages aren't usually written in blood. So, that had to mean his life was being threatened here, either that or he was dead already. Either way, she had to do something.

Gabi then grabbed her phone off the coffee table and speed dialed Marshall, her father figure. He would know what to do, and he could give her the number for the lawyer that helped him get custody of Hailie.

"yeah?"

"Marshall, its me, I know you are probably busy and have better things to but I really need your help with something,"

"what is it about?"

"Dante,"

"your dead brother?"

"yeah, my brother,"

"what is about your brother,"

"ok, um…never mind, can you just get me that number for the lawyer who got you custody of Hailie?"

"you still want out of your Rocque Records contract, I thought everything was going great, you and Kendall were back together,"

Gabi took a deep breath before responding.

"it isn't about getting out of a contract for Rocque Records," she told him.

"then what is this about?" Marshall asked her.

"um…when I was released from the hospital after getting shot, when I was leaving someone from the United States Marine's showed up," Gabi started a little nervous. "he said that on an anonymous tip they reran Dante's fingerprints and they didn't match,"

"what do you mean they didn't match?"

"they said the remains they identified weren't his, and they think…they think he is being held over in Iraq at a war camp of something," Gabi replied. "Marshall, Dante's alive,"

Marshall stayed silent for a moment and waited before speaking.

"are you…are you sure, what evidence is there?"

"the fact that they don't have his remains," Gabi said. "um…and today, I just got something in the mail,"

"what did you get?"

"I don't know who it's from, but someone sent me his dog tags,"

"his dog tags,"

"yeah, they are necklaces that the soldiers out in the field, it says the soldiers name, their social security number, what branch of the military they are in, what their gas mask size is and their religion,"

"and how do you know its his, someone could be playing a joke on you, people do that to Hailie, Lainey and Whitney because of who I am, all the time,"

"there dirty, like someone who hasn't been in a real civilized place in a while,"

"anything else,"

"there was a note"

"what did the note say?"

"he's alive,"

"and that's it,"

"yeah,"

"well…"

"Marshall, it was written in blood,"

"what do you mean blood,"

"it was written in blood, Marshall, the words were written in blood, probably his blood,"

"how do you know its blood,"

"I know what blood looks like,"

"are you positive,"

"yeah,"

Marshall stays silent again before speaking.

"you know what, I am going to call my lawyer and see what we can do, we need to get that blood tested, if were lucky, it could be a guy in the system,"

"Marshall, I really doubt the guy who is holding my brother prisoner over in Iraq's DNA is the system in our country and Dante's blood isn't, the Marines wont help,"

"the can run it against yours for a familial match, ok, but it wont be a priority so it will take a while, unless you have a friend who is a cop,"

"Kendall's friend Carlos's dad is cop,"

"ok, Gabi, go to him, take the note, don't touch it anymore then you have, also bring him the dog tags, find out if its his blood, after they have processed that for evidence, I will call my lawyer,"

"ok, thanks Marshall," Gabi told him.

"no problem," Marshall replied. "but, there is something I need to tell you, if he is over there, and alive, and he is being held prisoner, by whoever, they aren't following the rules of war, and there is a chance he is close to death if he isn't dead already,"

"ok, I understand,"

"and Gabi, where is Kendall?"

Gabi took a deep breath before speaking.

"I don't want to talk about it," Gabi said.

Marshall nodded even though he knew Gabi couldn't see it. He knew better then to pester her about what happened. It would just make her mad. And it wasn't his business, even if he thought of Gabi like one of his daughters.

"ok, I will talk to you later then,"

"bye Marshall,"

"bye,"


	42. Chapter 42

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 42

Gabi walked down the hallway of the Palm Woods with Freight Train following a few feet behind. He still had strict orders to follow her wherever she went. Justin was a huge threat if he wasn't in prison. But Gabi knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to come after her. He would know she is guarded twenty four seven and coming after her would just get him put back in prison. If he got out, obviously he didn't want to go back.

Gabi closed her locker door to become face to face with Justin. For a moment they just looked at each other before he broke the silence.

"Hey," he said casually.

Gabi just looked back at him.

"Please talk to me Gab," he said to her.

"You hit me last night," Gabi said finally as she shifted her school books in her arms.

Justin took a deep breath before letting it out.

"I know, and I am so sorry about that," Justin told her as he looked into her chocolaty brown eyes with his blue ones. "I have no idea what happened, I just lost it and you need to know that I feel awful about that, I couldn't sleep last night because of how bad I felt, how bad I still feel, it was the biggest mistake I've made in my whole life, I still cant believe I did that,"

"Well, you did," Gabi told him in a small voice as she just looked back at him.

"Look, I know you're probably really pissed at me, and I honestly don't blame you," Justin told her. "I am extremely pissed at myself for doing that, and I know you probably don't ever want to see me again, and if you want me to, I will leave you alone forever, we can end it right if you want to, but I just need you to know that I do love you, and that wont ever happen again,"

Gabi then looked down at the floor before looking back up at him.

"When someone loves somebody, they don't hit them Justin," Gabi replied before slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"I know," Justin replied. "And like I said, I feel terrible about it, I really want this to work out, we've been together for four months and I don't want them to have been for nothing,"

Gabi blinked before looking back at him silent.

"Go out with me tonight, just the two of us, we can catch a movie in Duckabush and go to nice restaurant," Justin told her. "We can talk about great books, and poetry, you can tell me about all those amazing songs you have written,"

Gabi just looked back at him not knowing what to say.

"I cant, I have work at the diner," Gabi said.

"Can't Emma take your shift?" Justin asked her. "I'm sure if you asked her she would,"

"You promise it won't happen again?" she asked him.

Justin looked into her eyes.

_"I promise that it wont, it will never happen again, I love you,"_

Gabi pushed that memory to the back of her head as she got to the door of apartment 2J. Hopefully Carlos was there and could get a hold of his dad for her. She just hoped Kendall didn't answer the door. She had no idea how mad he was still that Gabi left out the detail that Justin wasn't always abusive and that she loved him at a point and he was her first.

She just still hoped and prayed that she hadn't ruined everything that they just got back.

Gabi quickly knocked on the door as soon as she got there. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest from how nervous she was. Hopefully Carlos's dad could help. And hopefully if it was Dante's blood that they could do something to help. Unlike the U.S Marines.

James was the person who opened the door. He just looked at Gabi for a moment.

"Kendall isn't here," he said after a moment. "And to answer the question you are about to ask, no, I will not tell him you stopped by,"

"He told you," Gabi said nervously.

"Yeah," James said. "And leaving out that detail was something you shouldn't have done when you came forward with your story,"

"I know, I was stupid and I just made everything worse," Gabi said.

"Yeah…you could say that," James told her. "And why is Freight Train right behind you,"

"Security reasons," Freight Train said speaking up.

"what, you think Kendall's going to come after you now because of what you told him, because that's bull and you know it,"

"No, that's not why," Gabi said annoyed.

"Then why?" James asked her kind of mad.

"There has been a jail break at California State Prison, and inmate Justin N. Wilson is unaccounted for, the police have no clue where he is," Freight Train said from behind Gabi. "I have to follow Miss McCoy wherever she goes for security reasons,"

James nodded before he tried to shut the door but Gabi stopped him.

"I already told you, Kendall isn't here," James said.

"I am not here to see Kendall," Gabi replied.

"Who are you here to see then?" James asked as he crossed his arms. "Because I am pretty sure no one here wants to see your lying face right now,"

Gabi didn't say anything after James called her a liar. She deserved it. She should have told that part of the truth long ago.

"I need to talk to Carlos," Gabi said.

"Carlos?" James asked.

"Yeah,"

"Why do you need to talk to Carlos?"

"Actually, I really need to talk to his dad, and I was hoping Carlos could help me get a hold of him,"

"What could you possibly need Carlos's dad for?"

"He's a cop,"

"You have security,"

"That's not why I need to talk to him,"

"Why do you need to talk to him?"

"It's a personal thing,"

"Another thing you are keeping to yourself, that is going to hurt people,"

"It's not something that needs to be said out in the open,"

"Neither was the other thing,"

"Is Carlos here or not?"

"Depends on if you tell me what's going on, why you need to talk to Carlos and Carlos's dad,"

Gabi took a deep breath.

"It's about my brother,"

"The dead one,"

"I only have one brother,"

"What about him,"

"There's a chance he's alive,"

**A/N: guess who's back, back again, Kristen's back, tell a friend, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back. well...before i start rapping Eminem, I AM BACK! YIPEE! i have been able to write again! i missed you all, especially Jeni56790's monologues! (but all the reviews are awesome) i got good news, and bad news! bad news first, the next few weeks i am in a hospitalization program so i wont be able to update, unless my friend Hailie (xXMissHailieJadeXx) does it for me. **

**the good news! i need someone to run the Kendall facebook profile! (not page, profile) i have a Gabi one made and i run that, you get to be in charge of it, post statuses, upload photos you find, write captions for the photos and normal stuff for facebook, i know it may sound lame, but i need someone to do it. so if youre interested, message me or leave it in the review i know you are going to leave, because i will update when i am back and i have at least four! so please consider the Kendall facebook thing!**

**-Kristen**


	43. Chapter 43

Animal I Have Become

Chapter 43

After Gabi said there was a chance Dante was still alive to James, he finally told her how she can contact Carlos's dad. So she called him and he told her to meet him at the LAPD.

So now, Gabi sits in the lobby at LAPD obviously waiting for Officer Garcia to come and get her from there so she can talk to him about what's going on and try to figure out if they can locate Dante and find out if it was his blood.

Freight Train was still with her, which she thought was unnecessary, what bad stuff could really happen in a police station where there were cops everywhere. Only an idiot would choose to go shoot up a police station. It was a suicide mission. The person who would do it would be killed in the process. All police officers carry guns, its part of the job, so you go into a police station shooting, a lot of police officers are going to be shooting at you and you will die.

Officer Garcia walked into the lobby and as soon as Gabi saw him, she stood up.

"what did you need to talk to me about Gabi?" Officer Garcia asked as he walked over to her.

"I have a huge problem, and I have no idea who to go to," Gabi said to him. "I talked to Marshall and he told me to go to the police, and I remembered how you helped me last year when I was kidnapped by Justin, and I really need some help right now,"

"ok, come with me, lets go talk somewhere and you can tell me what is going on," Officer Garcia said.

Gabi nodded and followed him down the hallway and Freight Train followed.

"um…why is he following?" Officer Garcia asked Gabi as they walked down the hallway.

"security reasons," Gabi answered him. "part of the reason on why I am here,"

Officer Garcia nodded before opening a door that led to an empty interrogation room. After Gabi and Freight Train stepped inside, he closed the door.

"take a seat," he said motioning to the small table set up in there.

Gabi sat down and so did Officer Garcia while Freight Train just stood at the door.

"ok, tell me exactly what is going on," he told her.

Gabi took a deep breath.

"I am not really sure where to start," she said.

"just start where you feel you need to," he replied to her.

"my brother was in the armed forces, he was deployed to Iraq over two years ago," Gabi started. "a year ago, I was told by the U.S Marine Corps that he was dead. But a not to long ago, the U.S Marine Corps came to me and said there was a chance he was still alive, and if he is, he is being held over in Iraq as a Prisoner of War,"

"I see," Officer Garcia said. "but, what is it that you want me to do?"

"I um…I um got this in the mail today," Gabi said as she reached into her bag and pulled out the envelope that contained the dog tags and the note. She put it on the table for Officer Garcia and he picked it up making sure to grab the ends of it and not get his fingerprints all over it.

He tipped the envelope to its side and the contents fell onto the table. He grabbed the chain of the dog tags.

"and what is this?" he asked her.

"those are Dante's dog tags," Gabi answered him. "all soldiers out in the field have to wear them, so its easy to identify bodies, which they never found when Dante supposedly died,"

Officer Garcia put the dog tags back on the table and grabbed the note. He quickly opened it, still careful to not get his fingerprints all over it.

"is this blood?" Officer Garcia asked her.

"I am not positive, but I think it is," Gabi said. "and if its blood, it has to be his blood,"

"we need to test this," Officer Garcia said as he put it down, "we need to print both and check to see if its blood, and if it is, we need to run a DNA check against yours for a familial match,"

Gabi nodded.

"I will be right back, I am going to go grab someone from our Forensics Unit," Officer Garcia said.

He then stood up and walked out of the room. About five minutes later, a petite Latina girl with long dark hair in her late twenties walked in with a crime scene kit which she put on the table. Officer Garcia was right behind her.

"Gabi, this Detective Martinez," Officer Garcia said. "she will be testing for blood,"

Detective Martinez nodded as she opened her kit and put on latex gloves then grabbed a cue tip and the note off the table. She ran the cut tip over the blood on the note then put the note down and pulled out a small bottle from her kit and pulled out a small bottle and squeezed a few drops on liquid out and onto the cue tip and the tip of it that she ran over the blood turned a bright, glowing blue.

"Garcia, positive for blood," she said.

"ok, compare it to hers to see if it's a familial match and if it is, we will cross that bridge when we come to it," Officer Garcia said.

Detective Martinez nodded and put the cue tip she recently used in what looked like a small test tube made out of plastic, except it had a lid that she tightened when the cue tip was inside.

She then pulled out another cue tip.

"can you open your mouth," Detective Martinez asked Gabi.

Gabi opened her mouth and she took the cue tip and ran it along the inside of her cheek and put it in the same thing she put the other one in and then put them into separate evidence bags and marked them before putting the note and dog tags in evidence bags also.

"how fast do you want the results Garcia?" Detective Martinez asked him.

"put a rush on it," Officer Garcia said. "I would like the results as soon as possible,"

"ok, I will tell Maxine to put a rush on this," she said.

"also, I want the note and dog tags printed as soon as possible, so put a rush on that also," Officer Garcia told her.

Detective Martinez nodded before putting her stuff in her crime scene kit and walking out of the room.

Gabi looked to Officer Garcia.

"what if it is Dante's blood?" she asked him. "and he is being held over there, what can we do?"

"we will cross that bridge when we come to it," her answered her.

**A/N: thanks for reading, four reviews and i will update!**


	44. Authors Note

Ok, listen, I know I haven't posted anything for this story in practically forever and last summer I took a long hiatus because I was checked in to a treatment center for my self harm problem. I mentioned that in an authors note and I got some messages that weren't very friendly which is why I stopped writing the story, I was being judged by people who didn't know me. So if your gonna judge me, you should at least know the full story.

In fifth grade, I was bullied by the most popular girl at our school. I don't want to go into details, but I was put down constantly and had panic attacks daily and skipped school as much as possible. I left districts. Things got better but my self esteem sucked and I never liked myself and I was in some deep emotional pain.

By the time I hit eighth grade (last year) I was still in so much emotional pain, that I took it out on myself with a blade. Slicing my skin open. It was my way of coping when I things got tough. I went into treatment for it.

I am six months sober in three days.

Ok, now you can judge me, but seriously, the three people that sent those messages, you should be ashamed for telling someone that, I wont go into detail on what you said, but dude, unless you are educated on a subject, don't be making random generalizations about it.

As for this story, I know I lost a lot of subscribers due to that problem and how I was being judged, if you are interested in reading more of it, review or message me telling me that so I can decide if I should finish it or not. So, let me know.

-Kristen


	45. Chapter 44

Animal I Have Become  
Chapter 44

Gabi sat in the lobby of the LAPD again. According to Officer Garcia, the lab was having a slow day; the results would be in soon. Sometime in the next few hours, and Gabi did have nothing to do today. No work for a while until the Justin situation was handled.

There was nothing for her to do in the lobby except sit down and check her phone ever two minutes to see if Kendall at all tried to contact her since she told him, but no, he hadn't.

"Seriously Justin, it is over,"

_ Gabi grabbed two plates off an empty table in her parents diner and the two empty drink glasses before walking away to take them back to the kitchen to be washed so they can be used again. She was wearing a pair of light blue skinny jeans and a t-shirt that said 'Brinnon High School PE' then her name was written on it with magic marker, except it had to be her full name so it said 'Gabriella McCoy' and on the bottom, under that it said 'Home Of The Bulldogs,' and she had a small black apron around her waste that held a notepad, a pen, and straws and other necessities for waitresses to have. _

_ Justin just followed her to where behind the front counter Gabi put down the dishes and drink glasses. _

_ "Come on, Gabi, I'm sorry,"_

_ Gabi turned around and looked at him with her cold dark brown eyes. _

_ "That's what you said last time, and the time before that and the time before that and the time before that," Gabi said before walking past him. _

_ Justin continued to follow her as she picked up more dirty dishes from empty tables. The bell to the diner chimed and a couple in their late forties walked in. _

_ "I will be with you in a minute, take a seat wherever you want," Gabi called to them as she walked back to where she previously was with the dirty dishes in her hands._

_ "Will you just listen to me for one second," Justin said as he stepped in front of her blocking her way. _

_ "I cant, I am working," Gabi said before trying to shove him aside but he wouldn't move. "Move, you are going to get me fired,"_

_ "Your parents own this restaurant, they can't fire you," Justin told her. "Now listen to me,"_

_ "I have customers waiting, Emma called in sick, my parents are out of town at some sort of small business owners of Washington State convention thing, Alyssa is out of town, Kevin broke his arm playing stupid football and Maia decided to ditch work tonight," Gabi told him "Its only me, Bob and Jeff and they are both in the kitchen cooking because apparently Rob cut of his thumb chopping wood and is in Duckabush getting it either sewn back on, or getting a fake thumb, so I don't have time to talk,"_

_ Gabi again tried to push him out of the way but Justin stopped her. _

_ "We need to talk," he told her. _

_ "ok, if you want to talk, you are going to have to clear off tables five and seven and let me take Tom and Bernice's order before they leave and we lose business," Gabi told him as she glared at him. _

_ "Fine," Justin said annoyed. _

_He turned around and did what Gabi told him to do, clear off those tables while she took the older couples order and put it with the kitchen. She went behind the counter and opened the cash register and put inside the money that someone left on their table because they preferred cash over a credit card._

_ "Listen Gab, I am sorry," Justin told her. "I didn't mean to,"_

_ "You use that excuse every time," Gabi told him annoyed. "and every time I forgive you when you say it wont happen again because I love you, and I blame myself for getting you mad, but it has to stop,"_

_ "It will," Justin told her. _

_ "Justin, last night you hit me so hard I had to use half a thing of cover up just to hide the bruise," Gabi told him mad. "what happens when it gets harder and I cant cover it up, what's my excuse, a stupid can of soup fell out of the cupboard and hit me in the face, no one will believe that, we need to end this now,"_

_ "No," Justin said to her. "We are not ending this," _

_ "Yes we are," Gabi said annoyed as she turned around to walk away from behind the counter but Justin grabbed her wrist tightly._

_ "Let me go,"_

_ "No," Justin told her sternly in a whisper. "Now listen to me, it's not over, and you are mine and no one else's do you understand that?"_

Gabi quickly reached into her bag as she remembered she put her iPod touch in there and pulled it out and put her headphones in while scrolling down to Michael Jackson. She wasn't in the mood for rap right now.

She touched his new album Michael and went to Hold My Hand and that song came through her headphones.

_Akon and MJ  
__Yeah This life don't last forever  
__Hold my hand  
__So tell me what were waiting for  
__Hold my hand  
__Were better off together  
__Hold my hand  
__Being miserable alone  
__Hold my hand  
__Cuz I've been there before  
__And you've been there before  
__But together we can be alright_

_When it gets dark  
__And when it gets cold  
__We hold each other until we see the sunlight  
__So just hold my hand  
__I promise that I will do all I can  
__Things will get better  
__If you just hold my hand  
__Nothing can come between us_

_If you just hold my hand  
__Hold my  
__Hold  
__Hold my  
__Hold my hand_

Better off together. Life doesn't last forever. Hold my hand. Been there before. Together we can be alright. When it gets dark and when it gets cold. We hold each other until we see the sunlight. Promise you will do all you can. Things will get better. Nothing can come between us.

If only that was true at that moment.

Why did her favorite song at the moment just so happen to be one that reminded her of Kendall?

"Gabi,"

Gabi looked up to see Officer Garcia standing in the entry way to the lab holding a folder so she quickly put her iPod back in her bag and got up and went over to him.

"I have the results, come with me," he told her.

Gabi followed him and Freight Train (who was standing the corner of the room giving Gabi some distance because she requested space) followed her as they went into the same interrogation room. That Detective Martinez was there also.

"Gabi, have a seat," Officer Garcia said.

Gabi did as she was told.

"We have the results on the tests," he said. He put the folder down on the table in front of Detective Martinez. "Martinez will do the explaining, Forensics is her specialty,"

Gabi nodded and Detective Martinez opened the folder, she pulled out a picture of the dog tags.

"The only prints found on them were yours," she told her. "We processed them as best as we could, all we could get off of them was soil that is found patricianly in the Middle East,"

She then pulled the dog tags out of her pocket and put them on the table.

"We did all we could with them. You can have them back,"

"What else, what about the DNA?" Gabi asked nervous.

"The DNA wasn't a match," Martinez said.

"So, it's not Dante's blood, then who's was it?"

"I never said it wasn't Dante McCoy's blood,"

Gabi looked at her confused.

"What…what are you talking about?" she asked.

"I got access to the U.S Marine database through my friend who works for the NCIS," Martinez told her. "we got Dante's DNA profile and just to make sure, we compared it against the sample you gave us, there wasn't a match you would find in a brother and sister, there isn't a familial match at all,"

"What are you saying?"

"That Dante isn't your brother; you two aren't related at all,"

**A/N: i know, its short, but if this is a hit, there is more to come. i want to say thanks to the people that responded nicely. i couldnt respond to the mean people because they were anonymous, some chick that goes by The Girl Who Knows Everything and then some other one: TwilightLover38. i guess i shouldnt expect much from those two user names, but anywho, if you like the chapter, it would be amazing if you review, let me know what you liked, hated, want to see happen next, all that stuff, i love hearing it and it inspires me to continue knowing that people are reading it, so yeah, review if you like. **

**-Kristen**


	46. Chapter 46

Hello little people who actually read this story. It's obviously been months since I updated, long months.

I am not going to blame my recovery process for the no updates. It's been over a year so I can't be all "I couldn't update because of that." the truth will have to work.

I am honestly not a fan of Big Time Rush anymore. Seriously. I honestly don't watch it and haven't listened to them in months. I no longer enjoy their music. I don't even watch Nickelodeon. I watch Comedy Central and have an obsession with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and South Park. I listen to a lot of Pop-Punk right now along with rock with screaming. I currently love All Time Low, Hey Monday, Boys Like Girls, Black Veil Brides, Pierce The Veil, Bullet For My Valentine, Suicide Silence, Falling In Reverse, Escape The Fate, Asking Alexandria. Use your imagination for more.

The point is, this story is most likely not going to get finished. I apologize. I do have the rest of it planned out and if you are dying to know what happens, you can message me and I can tell you and if for some reason you are attached to this story (highly unlikely) I guess you could finish it if it's that important to you (again, highly unlikely) I also had the sequel to this and the sequel to that sequel planned out.

The other stories probably wont be finished either, including No Such Thing As Normal (GH hasn't been the same since they recast Kristina) The Shortcut, Give Me A Reason To Live, and Even The Smallest Starr Shines (you should expect that, it has been on hiatus for over two years now)

Anyway, I apologize,

Kristen, AKA WatchMeBurn-HearMeCry


End file.
